Starting this fall, fourth graders and their families can visit Joshua Tree National Park–and any of the other national park–for free. President Barack Obama unveiled his Every Kid in a Park initiative yesterday in an effort to get more young people out into the great outdoors. All fourth grade students and their families will be granted free admission to all national parks and other federal lands and waters for a full year, starting with the 2015-2016 school year. Family annual passes for national park admission usually cost $80, but under Obama’s plan, roughly 4 million 9- and 10-year-olds and their families won’t have to pay for access to federal parks. The initiative will also make it easy for schools and families to plan trips by distributing information and resources to find programs that support youth outings; provide transportation support to low-income schools; and provide educational materials. The initiative coincides with the 100th birthday of the National Park Service.
NEW “EVERY KID IN A PARK” INITIATIVE WILL IMPACT JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
