The USDA Forest Service announced it will expand its Every Kid Outdoors Program to offer fourth and fifth-grade students and their family members fee-free access to more than 2,000 sites on national forests and grasslands for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year.
A new voucher is available online for download now through August 31, 2021. Every Kid Outdoors is a federal public lands partnership created to inspire fourth-grade students and their families across America to recreate, explore cultures, discover connections to nature and spark a lifelong passion for America’s great outdoors. The program focuses on children ages 9–11 who, research shows, are beginning to understand the world around them, and are uniquely receptive to engaging with nature and the environment. By focusing on this age group year after year, the program aims to ensure every child in the United States can create a life-long connection to America’s big backyard.
According to Allegheny National Forest spokesperson DebraAnn Brabazon, “The inclusion of fifth-grade students in the Every Kid Outdoors Program is an exciting development which allows students to continue to build on their experiences of the previous year. I encourage all fourth- and fifth-graders, and their families, to take advantage of this benefit.” With the fee-waived voucher, students and their families can visit any National Forest and Grassland to experience the mental and physical benefits of the great outdoors.
Eligible families are encouraged to check with their local National Forest when planning your visit for any questions or concerns. Please visit the Allegheny National Forest webpage at https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/allegheny/home before visiting. To obtain a free 4th Grade Pass, visit the Every Kid Outdoors webpage, https://everykidoutdoors.gov/index.htm, click on “Get Your Pass”, and download a voucher. Fifth Graders can obtain a pass at the same site by selecting “Get your voucher” posted in the top banner. The voucher is valid between Nov. 12, 2020 and Aug. 31, 2021 to correspond to the traditional school year.
