Project Promise And NPS Launch ‘Every Kid In A Park’ Program

ST. THOMAS — Project Promise is continuing its partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) to give local students the opportunity to visit and learn about Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, Project Promise announced Wednesday.

On Monday, the two organizations rolled out the “Every Kid In A Park” program focused on getting fourth graders to visit the park. The program gives fourth grade students, and those accompanying them, the opportunity to learn about Salt River’s incredible history, according to the release.

Project Promise, through its partnership with the National Park Service, was selected to receive a 2016 field trip grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF), the official charity of America’s national parks, to support Every Kid in a Park at Salt River Bay. The grant is part of the Foundation’s Open Out Doors for Kids program. It’s the second year in a row that Project Promise has managed the NPF grant to support hundreds of local students’ visits to Salt River. Since the 2014 -2015 school year, Project Promise in collaboration with NPS, have hosted more than 1,000 public school sixth graders under the program, formerly called the “Ticket to Ride” program.

“These grants are planting the seeds for lifelong relationships with national parks and their programs,” said Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation. “By providing access to transformative experiences like listening to the sound of birds chirping, walking the halls of a school that tell a civil rights story, looking up at a dark night sky, or pitching a tent with a friend for the first time, these children are forever impacted. We appreciate the power of national parks and, through our support, the National Park Foundation hopes to share them with as many kids as possible.”

Locally, Every Kid In A Park kicks off this week. The program provides public school fourth grade students with the opportunity to get out into the fresh air, while learning more about local history. It’s a three-point program, designed by Project Promise President Resa O’Reilly that includes an introduction to the park at the school, followed by an on-site park tour, and a post-experience in-class visit by the instructor to review what was learned.

“There’s so much to discover at Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve and we’re excited to welcome fourth graders throughout the remaining school year. We hope that our participants learn, have fun and develop a lifelong love of our parks,” Ms. O’Reilly said.

Every Kid in a Park was part of President Obama’s commitment to protect our nation’s unique outdoor spaces and ensure that every American has the opportunity to visit and enjoy them. The program, now entering its second year, is a call to action for children to experience America’s spectacular outdoors, rich history and culture. It is a crucial component of a multi-pronged approach to inspire the next generation to discover all that our nation’s public lands and waters have to offer, including opportunities to be active, spend time with friends and family, and serve as living classrooms to build critical skills.

The Every Kid in a Park program is an Administration-wide effort between the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

For more information about Every Kid in a Park, or other Project Promise programs, please contact Resa O’Reilly at (340) 513-0446. Project Promise is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk youth on St. Croix by providing empowerment initiatives, cultural programs and family services. To learn more about Project Promise, please visit the website at www.projectpromisevi.com .