Larry Robinson / The Daily Sentinel
Colorado National Monument has a unique amphitheater and concert venue that overlooks Grand Junction and the surrounding Grand Valley, seen on March 19, 2024.
National Park Trust announced its list of 2024 grant winners of the Every Kid Outdoors Small Grants Program and the Colorado National Monument Association was one of the recipients.
This grant supports the Every Kid Outdoors Program, a federal youth initiative designed to provide every fourth grader in the United States the opportunity to visit public lands and waters for free with their families.
The Colorado National Monument Association received a $5,000 award with those funds going toward school bus transportation to bring school groups to Colorado National Monument for field trips.
“The cost of field trips, including the expense of bus transportation, can affect whether teachers, students, and their families are able to attend a field trip. This grant will help community students by improving elementary school access to Colorado National Monument,” said Johanna van Waveren, Executive Director of Colorado National Monument Association. “We thank the National Park Trust for this opportunity and look forward to supporting fields trips for the 2024 school season.”
Any funds remaining after the spring semester will be used to support teachers during fall 2024 semester field trips.
In partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service, the National Park Trust developed the program to support schools and organizations focused on connecting elementary school-aged youth to public parks, lands and waters.
Field trip experiences at the monument encourage social emotional wellbeing and foster personal connection to the Grand Valley’s unique natural environments, a news release said. All ranger-led Colorado National Monument field trips are aligned to state and national academic science standards.
The National Park Trust has been a leader in youth outdoor programming since 2009.
