Scotts Bluff monument welcomes 4th grade students

Scotts Bluff National Monument invites all fourth-grade students to visit the park for free as part of the White House’s new Every Kid in a Park program. Starting Sept. 1, fourth-grade students can now go to http://www.everykidinapark.gov to complete an activity and obtain a free annual entry pass to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including national parks.

Scotts Bluff National Monument serves many local residents as a place to exercise, bring out of town guests and to attend interesting programs. Many fourth-grade students are brought to the monument by their teachers as they learn about Nebraska history. 

“We hope these free passes for 4th graders will encourage the kids, their classmates and families to come outside and explore the great outdoors and inspire them to become the future generation to preserve and protect the national parks for years to come,” said acting Superintendent Dan Morford. 

To receive their free pass for national parks, fourth graders can visit the Every Kid in a Park website and play a game to access their special Every Kid in a Park voucher. The voucher is then exchanged for the pass at the first fee collecting National Service Park site they visit. Fourth graders and their families can then use this pass for free entry into national parks and other federal public lands and waters across the country from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31. The website also includes fun and engaging learning activities aligned to educational standards, trip planning tools, safety and packing tips and other important and helpful information for educators and parents. 

In addition to providing every fourth grader in America a free entry pass for national parks and federal public lands and waters, fourth grade educators, youth group leaders and their students across the country will also participate in the program through field trips and other learning experiences. Fourth grade is the perfect time to visit Scotts Bluff National Monument. Since this is the time that students in the area study Nebraska history and the emigrant trails, classes can follow the Oregon, California and Pony Express Trails; attend living history programs and experience what life was like on the trails. 

The goal of the Every Kid in a Park program is to connect fourth graders with the great outdoors and inspire them to become future environmental stewards, ready to preserve and protect national parks and other public lands for years to come. The program is an important part of the National Park Service’s centennial celebration in 2016, which encourages everyone to Find Your Park. 

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. 

The Scotts Bluff National Monument visitor center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The summit road remains open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. All Monument trails are open from sunrise until sunset. Additional information about Scotts Bluff National Monument programs and schedules can be obtained at the visitor center, by calling (308) 436-9700 or by visiting our website at http://www.nps.gov/scbl/index.htm or Facebook.