YOSEMITE — Yosemite National Park has distributed approximately 1,000 free park passes to Fourth Graders through the “Every Kid in a Park” program.
Fourth graders from across the country brought their vouchers to Yosemite to receive the free park pass. The passes are intended for fourth grade students and their families to visit more than 2,000 federal recreation areas through Aug. 31, 2016.
Fourth grade students from Indianola Elementary in Selma, CA proudly display their “Every Kid in a Park” passes. These students, along with approximately 400 other students, received their passes at Yosemite’s 125th Anniversary celebration on October 1, 2015 – photo courtesy NPS
“This is a tremendously exciting program and we are proud to participate in it as we approach the Centennial year of the National Park Service,” says Don Neubacher, Yosemite National Park Superintendent. “It is extremely gratifying to see these young people obtain their passes and be excited about visiting national parks across the country.”
Fourth grade students can visit www.everykidinapark.gov to complete an activity and receive their voucher. The voucher can then be redeemed at park entrance stations for the Every Kid in A Park pass.
Every Kid in a Park is an administrative-wide effort, launched by President Obama, and supported by eight federal agencies, including the National Park Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of Education, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Ranger Gabriel Lavan-Ying, a fourth-grade student from Gainesville, FL, holds his “Every Kid in a Park” pass. Ranger Gabriel received his pass during Yosemite National Park’s 125th Anniversary celebration. Ranger Gabriel served as the Honorary Chairman of Yosemite’s 125th Anniversary, which was commemorated on October 1, 2015. – photo courtesy NPS
On Oct. 1, 2015, Yosemite National Park commemorated its 125th Anniversary. Over 1,500 people attended the ceremony to honor Yosemite’s past, present, and future. Approximately 400 students attended from the Yosemite area and California’s Central Valley, with many of them being first-time visitors.
The park worked with the teachers of fourth grade classes to print vouchers and obtain the park passes for their students after the ceremony. The students were excited to receive the park passes, say officials, and many of them have returned to Yosemite using their passes they received through the Every Kid in a Park program.
