Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Specialist Caitlin Campbell has won the Freeman Tilden Award, the highest award presented to a National Park Service individual to recognize outstanding contributions to the profession of interpretation. The award was created to inspire and reward creative thinking and original programs in the National Park Service that positively impact visitors and parks. Campbell was recognized for her work on the Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger program, a free activity booklet that kids can complete to earn a Junior Ranger badge. She was presented with the award at the National Association for Interpretation Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. Earlier this year she was recognized at National Park Service ceremony in Washington, D.C.
“Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail staff work closely with partners sites across 4,900 miles,” said Campbell. “For this project, we collaborated to create a Junior Ranger program that is inclusive, accessible, and relevant across the entire trail.”
The 4,900-mile-long national historic trail follows the route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition across North America and passes through the territories of more than 60 Tribes.
The program’s Junior Ranger booklet begins not with an uncharted wilderness, but with a continent bustling with Native trade, art, and technology. Activities highlight the diverse backgrounds and skills of the Corps of Discovery and the expedition’s reliance on Tribal nations. Accessible, innovative features—including audio described read along videos, a Native names online guide, and tactile maps—boost engagement for all.
“The legislation that created Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and many other trails clearly envisioned trails as being the products of partners, volunteers, and agency employees working together,” said Superintendent Mark Weekley. “This Junior Ranger program exemplifies what we can achieve through this unique collaboration.”
Kids and the young at heart can find the Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger program at more than 30 partnering locations in 13 states.
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