Golden Gate National Recreation Area receives National Park Foundation Open OutDoors for Kids Grant

News Release Date:
January 28, 2022

Contact:Laura Elze

Contact:Alanna Sobel

SAN FRANCISCO -Golden Gate National Recreation Area received an Open OutDoors for Kids grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF). This grant will enable the Interpretation and Education Division to engage fourth graders through the Rock! Pattern! Systems! educational program.

"We are grateful to receive this grant from the National Park Foundation, and eager to provide high-quality, curriculum-based programming to our local schools," said Laura E. Joss, General Superintendent, Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

"Rock! Pattern! Systems!" takes young geologists on a dramatic trek to the Point Bonita Lighthouse, in the Marin Headlands area of the park, and the first place in California where scientists produced a detailed geologic map. Through both individual and small group work, students use copies of the first complete world map of the ocean floor to hone their powers of observation and find patterns in seafloor mountain ranges. At Point Bonita, students investigate seafloor rocks along the trail and pose questions for deeper meaning as they construct their own understanding of the importance of accurate data in creating new scientific knowledge. For the school year 2020-2021, 811 fourth grade students were served from 20 different schools and participated in the program. This grant will enable the park to reach even more local youth with this wonderful program.

Since 2011, NPF has engaged more than one million students in educational programs connecting them with national parks across the country. NPF's goal is to connect another one million students to parks by the end of the 2024-25 school year."

National parks are America's largest classrooms, and Open OutDoors for Kids seeks to connect as many kids as possible to them," said National Park Foundation President and CEO Will Shafroth. "With parks, learning is fun, memorable, and hands-on. Parks open kids' eyes to the wonder and complexities of nature and history, sharing diverse perspectives that offer a wider understanding of our country's progress and struggles."

The NPF Open OutDoors for Kids program is made possible by private philanthropy, including support from Youth Engagement and Education premier partner Union Pacific Railroad, and supporting partner GoGo squeeZ. Additional funding is provided by Alicia and Peter Pond, Apple, Columbia Sportswear, Sierra, Parks Project, Humana, The Batchelor Foundation, Inc., and many other donors.

Learn more about NPF's efforts to engage students with national parks as classrooms.

ABOUT Golden Gate National Recreation Area, situated in and around San Francisco, is the most visited park in the National Park Service, hosting more than 12.4 million visitors in 2020. A diverse park with abundant recreational opportunities, as well as natural, cultural, and scenic resources, it encompasses more than 80,000 acres across three counties. The park also administers two other NPS areas, Fort Point National Historic Site, a Civil War era fortress built on the northernmost point of land in San Francisco, and Muir Woods National Monument, which comprises an impressive stand of old growth coastal redwoods in Marin County.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION The National Park Foundation works to protect wildlife and park lands, preserve history and culture, educate and engage youth, and connect people everywhere to the wonder of parks. We do it in collaboration with the National Park Service, the park partner community, and with the generous support of donors, without whom our work would not be possible. Learn more at www.nationalparks.org.

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