Every Kid in a Park

The Every Kid in a Park (Every Kid) Initiative is a great opportunity for Outdoor Educators to connect their programs to a national initiative dedicated to getting kids outdoors. This Path provides information on Every Kid and tools to integrate the initiative into your outdoor youth programming.

Educators who are just learning about Every Kid and have not organized an outdoor focused field trip can benefit from the entire path, while those who have experience in these areas can pick and choose the resources that will benefit them. The path is broken down into 5 sections:

  1. Finding Your Park: Resources to determine which park is right for you and your class, discover parks with Every Kid friendly programs, and learn what the various types of public lands have to offer.

  2. Planning Your Trip: Guides providing tools and resources to develop partnerships and plan an Every Kid trip.

  3. ‘Day of’ Execution: Checklists, forms, and timelines to help organize and execute on the day of your trip.

  4. Educational Resources: Lessons & activities that will prepare students for behavior expectations while on your trip and align with NGSS and Core Competency standards.

  5. Additional Resources: Fundraising, transportation, family resources, and more.

FINDING YOUR PARK

Use these resources to learn more about Every Kid and determine which federal land or water is right for your program. Learn how your program can benefit from engaging in this national initiative.

Every Kid InspiredVIDEO Every Kid: Inspired, Exploring, Connected

Created by USFWS, this video provides a great introduction to Every Kid in a Park.

IntroductionGUIDE Introduction and Overview – Every Kid in a Park

This guide provides a brief overview of the White House’s Every Kid in a Park initiative, important FAQs, and how your organization can get passes for 4th grade participants.

Leveraging a National IntiativeGUIDE: Leveraging a National Initiative

This guide describes how engaging with a national initiative, such as Every Kid, can help grow awareness for and benefit your organization.

OverviewGUIDE Introduction and Overview to Federal Lands and Waters

This guide will help you understand how to differentiate between the various kinds of federal lands and waters, what kind of recreation opportunities they provide, and why our federal lands and waters are so important.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

This section contains resources to help you create partnerships with local schools and federal lands and waters, as well as plan the logistics for your program.

DevelopingGUIDE Developing Partnership Opportunities

This guide will walk you through the steps of designing a program that will help you identify and collaborate with partners on the Every Kid initiative.

Day PlannerGUIDE Day Planner

This guide provides an in-depth look at the planning stages involved in your outdoor trip including pre, during and post trip logistics and considerations.

‘DAY OF’ EXECUTION

This section contains tools and resources you’ll need to successfully facilitate your trip.

At a glanceTEMPLATE Day at a Glance

This template outlines what a field trip day looks like using a timeline. The Day at a Glance is easy to customize and can be given to teachers and chaperones on the trip to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Local Operation PlanTEMPLATE Local Operation Plan

Use the Local Operation Plan (LOP) to collect and communicate the important trip and contact information about the location, emergency resources, and staff.

ChecklistTEMPLATE Field Trip Checklist

This checklist helps to ensure that you don’t forget anything on your big day. Customize it for your trip.

Trip LogTEMPLATE Field Trip Log

This easy to use form captures pertinent information for your field trip including basic details and contact info for staff and students. Customize to fit your needs.

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

This section contains lesson ideas to prepare your students for behavior expectations while at the park as well as NGSS and Core Competency aligned lessons tied to your trip experience.

Responsible Outdoor BehaviorGUIDE Teaching Students Proper Outdoor Behavior

This lesson plan will help prepare students to behave responsibly when in the outdoors and to treat the environment respectfully.

Exploring Federal lands and watersWEBPAGE Every Kid in a Park Common Core Lesson Plans

This Scholastic webpage contains Every Kid themed lesson plans and activities for “Exploring Federal Lands and Waters”, “Environmental Stewardship”, “Citizen Science”, and “Our Nation’s Native People”.

Investigating a national parkGUIDE INVESTIGATING A NATIONAL PARK: 4th grade lessons for use before and during your Federal Lands and Waters visit

The lessons in this manual provide students the opportunity to develop connections to a place, research about the place they will be visiting, and create quests or scavenger hunts that invite others to explore the park. Also included are 4th grade example Next Generation Science Standards with ideas for using them to support learning on federal lands and waters.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Extra information if you need special assistance with your trip and for your participants’ families.

Transportation and FundingGUIDE Transportation and Funding

This guide provides recommendations and links for transportation and funding resources to help you plan and execute your Every Kid field trip.

Info SheetGUIDE Every Kid in a Park Info Sheet for Families

Share this 2-page info sheet with your students’ families via print or email to get them excited and informed about this great initiative.

Official Every KidWEBPAGE Official Every Kid in a Park Website

This is the official website for Every Kid in a Park and where you can find additional resources specific to parents and educators for trip planning and general information about the initiative.