A Win For Every Kid In A Park

Need some good news today?

The national program, Every Kid In A Park was given funding for another year! Outdoor Alliance For Kids reports from October 2nd:

Washington, DC — Today, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle came together to pass the Every Kid Outdoors Act, to help get our kids outdoors. The bill, introduced by Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN), would encourage fourth graders and their families to visit America’s natural, cultural, and historical treasures. The bill authorizes the Department of the Interior, U.S. Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Army Corps of Engineers, to administer a pass program to provide free entry for fourth graders and their families to visit our national public lands, waters, and shores. The companion bill passed the House of Representatives and is sponsored by Representatives Niki Tsongas (D-MA), Scott Tipton (R-CO), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Diana DeGette (D-CO).

What Is Every Kid In A Park?

If you are not familiar with this program, Every Kid In A Park provides an annual parks pass to fourth graders and their families to explore and experience our national parks and historical sites. From Zion to Mount Rainier to The Great Smokies, your family can visit some of our country’s greatest treasures. With this pass, you will have access to all federal parks, lands, and waters for an entire year!

What You Need To Know

If you aren’t already enjoying your own Every Kid In A Park pass, here are the details from their website on what you need to know to get one for your own fourth grader or fourth graders you teach.

The Official rules

The pass is for U.S. fourth-grade (or home-school equivalent) students.
The pass is for the 2018 to 2019 school year. It expires August 31, 2019.
Students can’t transfer the pass to anyone else.
They don’t can’t accept electronic versions of this paper for access or to exchange for a pass.
No refunds are given for previously purchased passes, or if you forget your pass when you visit.
If you lose your pass, get a new one by visiting the website and signing up again.
Educators can get one paper pass for each of their fourth-grade students.
This program only provides passes for fourth graders.

Here’s How it Works

Show your pass to a ranger when you enter. If there is no ranger, leave it on the dashboard of your car.
If you visit a site that charges entrance fees per person— The pass admits all children under 16 and up to three adults for free.
If your group visits a site that charges vehicle entrance fees – The pass admits all children under 16 and all adults in up to one passenger vehicle. Commercial vehicles can’t use a pass to get in.
If you arrive at a site on bicycle— The pass admits all children under 16 and up to three adults on bicycles.
The pass doesn’t cover things like parking fees, camping, boats, and special tours. Also, some sites are managed by private operators. They may not honor the pass. Check with the site ahead of time to find out.
The pass doesn’t cover fees for local, city, or state parks and recreation areas unless they say that they accept this pass.
Paper passes can be exchanged for plastic passes at certain sites.

What constitutes a family seems pretty generous to me! So, if you or someone you know has a fourth grader (or teaches fourth graders) make sure to pass on the good news! You can learn more and get your own pass at Every Kid In A Park.

The site translates to Spanish, too! ¡El sitio es disponible in Español tambien!

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