Through the White House’s Every Kid in a Park initiative, fourth grade students and their families will be able to visit America’s national parks and historic sites for FREE during the 2015-2016 school year!

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Beginning September 1, 2015 families of fourth-graders will have access to their own Every Kid in a Park pass. This pass will give students and their families free access to national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and more. And students will be able to use the pass through August 31, 2016.

You can click here to sign up for a pass online. And note that more information will be available beginning in September.

What a great opportunity to get out and EXPLORE! In the U.S. there are millions of acres of national parks, historic structures, cultural artifacts, ancient forests, snow-capped mountains, and waters just waiting for us to visit. To view a full list of national parks or to search for sites by state, click here.

Every Kid in the Park program is made possible by the National Park Service and National Park Foundation. It joins the Foundation’s Open Outdoors for Kids program in helping children learn history, culture, and science while exploring the great outdoors. Please click here to visit the National Park Foundation’s website to learn more.

Why Fourth Grade? Fourth-graders were specifically chosen for “logistical, educational and instructional reasons”, according to a White House official. And many states within the United States teach state history during fourth grade, so National Park programs are relevant to their studies.

What a great opportunity! We hope you’ll share with other fourth grade students & teachers.