I have long been an advocate for using travel as a tool to enhance your child’s education beyond the classroom walls. There was even an article on Inc.com the week before last about how travel can help your kids succeed, click here to read the article.
For the next year 4th graders across the US are getting some help in that regard. In it’s second year, the Every Kid in a Park Program offers the opportunity for 4th graders to receive their own National Parks pass free of charge. The passes are good for the 2016 – 2017 school year and do not expire unil August 31, 2017. If your family visits a park that charges per person entry fees, the 4th grader pass is good for all children in your party under the age of 16 and up to three adults. What if you visit a park that charges by the car? It’s still good! The pass will admit all children and all adults in one non-commercial vehicle for free!
From Acadia to Zion and every national park in between nothing is excluded for these 4th graders.
Maybe this is the incentive your family was looking for to finally take that trip to Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon next summer.
Of course all of us can read about destinations or historical events in a book, but actually standing next to a Giant Sequoia or watching an historical reenactment at Appomattox Court House puts everything into perspective, especially for a child.
“Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.”
– Sir John Lubbock
On a related note, Canada announced late last month, that for all of 2017, to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Canadian Confederation, that all national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas will waive entry fees.
For more information on the pass for 4th graders, or pass information for military, seniors or the standard annual passes email or call Jennifer (757) 484-4015.
If you are ready to start planning a National Parks vacation for yourself or your family (4th grader not required) click here.
For more family travel ideas or content like sign up here: