A new program is offering thousands of elementary school students the chance to get a taste of the Channel Islands, as well as the entire National Park system.
Channel Islands National Park wants kids to learn about the park. So, it’s using $50,000 in grant money to cover the costs of busing Ventura County public school fourth graders to the park’s visitor center in Ventura.
Park Education Coordinator Monique Navarro says the kids will experience different exhibits, and see a film about the islands during their visit. On top of the visit, each fourth grader will receive a pass which allows them, and their families to visit any of the nation’s national parks for free through August, as part of a nationwide “kid in a park” initiative.
Fourth grade teachers in Ventura County can make arrangements for their classes to participate in the free program by contacting the national park. Park officials say there are about 10,000 fourth graders in the county eligible to participate in the program.
