News Release

Open Outdoors for Kids Focus City Grant

Ranger Kathryn Teaching 4th Graders How to Pitch a Tent

NPS Photo/Patti Reilly

News Release Date: October 18, 2018

Contact: Daphne Yun, 718-815-3651

Contact: Alanna Sobel, 202-796-2538

Gateway National Recreation Area has been selected to receive an Open OutDoors for Kids Focus City grant for the 2018-2019 school year from the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. Gateway will work with new partners to expand educational programs for local 4^th grades in the school districts and communities adjacent to Jamaica Bay. Working together, NYC H2O, the Urban Soils Institute (USI), a division of the NYC Soil and Water Conservation District, and Gateway’s education staff will provide programs and activities focused on the diverse natural resources of Jamaica Bay.

This grant is part of the Foundation’s Open OutDoors for Kids program which creates opportunities for kids to explore and connect with national park experiences. Beyond making field trips possible, the program raises local community awareness about the importance of connecting kids to the outdoors.

“Trekking along trails, observing our natural ecosystems and engaging with our shared history are experiences that benefit all children,” said National Park Foundation President Will Shafroth. “Making it possible for America’s youth to explore our national parks is an investment in their future and the future of the national parks community.”

For the 2018/19 school year, Gateway educators will be contacting 4^th grade teachers in the schools closest to Jamaica Bay- Districts 18, 19, 21, 22 and 27. Rangers will offer visits to introduce 4^th grade students to the national park in their own backyard, and help them get their free Every Kid in a Park pass. This pass gives each child and their family members free access to hundreds of parks and public lands across the country for the entire year. On the shores and lands of Gateway’s Jamaica Bay Unit, Gateway staff and our USI and NYC H2O partners will lead field programs helping kids learn about soil, water, coastal habitats, and the plants and animals that depend on them. Through hands-on activities students will learn about environmental sustainability and stewardship. Professional development will be offered to teachers by educators and scientists from NPS and other organizations. Special family days of stewardship, learning and recreation are also on the agenda for the year, with additional partner programs, such as the Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile program.

Gateway Superintendent Jen Nersesian welcomes young visitors and their families to the park.. “One effective way to creating a new generation of park stewards is by bringing school groups to the park for activities that engage their minds, senses and spirit. By expanding the number of programs, we will increase the number of teachers and students using the park for exciting learning adventures.”

Gateway’s partners are equally enthusiastic about this new collaborative:

"NYC H2O is excited to partner with the National Park Service to bring more students outdoors so that they can enjoy the nature found in Gateway National Recreation Area and learn how it directly benefits them and their city,” said Matt Malina, director and founder of NYC H2O.

4^th grade students are at a prime age to look at their natural world and consider their role in it. It is particularly appropriate that we engage students at this point in their school years to help them harness the knowledge to create sustainable cities for their future,” said Tatiana Morin, director, NYC Urban Soils Institute.

For the full list of grantees and their projects, click here.

About Gateway National Recreation Area

A large diverse urban park spanning two states, Gateway combines recreational activities with natural beauty, wildlife preservation, military history and more Visitors can hike, picnic, swim, sunbathe, bike, visit the oldest lighthouse in the nation, see an airplane collection and camp overnight, all in the New York metropolitan area. Gateway is one of the ten most visited national parks in the country. For information about Gateway's upcoming public programs, see the park's Web site at www.nps.gov/gate. To join the conversation about Gateway, follow us on social media. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @GatewayNPS.

About the National Park Foundation

Celebrating 50 years, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and ENGAGE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks, a comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national treasures for the next hundred years. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.