THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area has been selected to receive an Open OutDoors for Kids Focus City grant for the 2018-2019 school year from the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service.
The grant will help fund the same popular program that brought more than 20,000 students from Title 1 schools in Los Angeles during the 2017-18 school year.
Through a variety of fun and educational hands-on programs in the Santa Monica Mountains, in partnership with California State Parks, Channel Islands National Park (CHIS), and other valuable park partners such as the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, programming will be expanded to engage an estimated 25,000 4th graders in LA and Ventura and provide work experience for up to 14 college and university youth.
The National Park Foundation is also supporting Open OutDoors for Kids Focus City programs that provide transportation funding for field trips, foster collaboration among local partners and raise awareness about the importance of connecting children to the outdoors.
“The best time to get hooked on the outdoors is when you are a kid. A field trip with school friends or a trip with family can inspire a lifelong love of our public lands and historical places," said David Szymanski, park superintendent. “Unfortunately, the schools we serve often lack the funding for buses to send kids to parks. These grants pay for the transportation, and for the rangers and interns that host the children when they arrive."
This grant is part of the Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program which creates pathways for kids to explore and connect with national park experiences. Beyond making field trips possible, the program raises local community awareness about the importance of connecting kids to the outdoors.
“Trekking along trails, observing our natural ecosystems and engaging with our shared history are experiences that benefit all children," said National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth. “Making it possible for America’s youth to explore our national parks is an investment in their future and the future of the national parks community."
Charlotte Parry, executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, said she’s thrilled that due to the grant, more schoolchildren from the vast Los Angeles metropolitan region will be served. “This year, we will be able to expand to Ventura County, which we haven’t been able to do previously," she said. “That’s a big deal."
Cities and parks participating in 2018-2019 include:
● Baltimore, MD: Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
● Cleveland, OH: Cuyahoga Valley National Park
● Houston, TX: Big Thicket National Preserve
● Miami, FL: Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park
● Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN: Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
● New York City, NY: Gateway National Recreation Area
● Seattle, WA: Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
● St. Louis, MO: Gateway Arch National Park and Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site
● Washington, DC: National Mall and Memorial Parks
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, the recreation area preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/samo.
The Santa Monica Mountains Fund works to protect and encourage appreciation and understanding of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The Fund achieves this by supporting National Park Service efforts in education, science, research, improved facilities, citizen engagement, stewardship and philanthropy.
Celebrating 50 years, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and ENGAGE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks, a comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national treasures for the next hundred years. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
