National Park Trust and Edison International Announce the 2024 Southern California Kids to Parks Grant Program Recipients

February 22, 2024

13 Schools in Southern California Awarded Grants; Will Get 900 Kids to Parks

Washington, DC (February 22, 2024) /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ – National Park Trust, in partnership with Edison International, is pleased to announce the 2024 grantees of the first Southern California Kids to Parks Grant Program, which is designed to connect third through eighth graders at Title I schools in southern California to local public parks, lands, and waters. A leader in youth outdoor programming since 2009, National Park Trust addresses the barriers that prevent students from under-resourced communities from engaging with nature.

The 2024 grants will fund educational outdoor trips for 13 schools and impact more than 900 elementary and middle school students. This program aims to help students forge lifelong connections with parks and nurture their role as caretakers and advocates of our public lands and waters.

“We are delighted to work with Edison International and applaud their commitment to helping us get even more kids outdoors to discover our parks. We hope these children will reap the many benefits of our public lands and understand their critically important role as future park stewards, said Grace Lee, executive director of National Park Trust.

“Edison International is proud to partner with National Park Trust on the new Southern California Kids to Parks Grant Program. Equitable access to the great outdoors, especially for our youth, is crucial in creating healthy communities,” said Caitlin Ishigooka, senior advisor of Corporate Philanthropy for Southern California Edison. “By providing access to these lands today, we hope to invest our future stewards with a sense of responsibility and dedication towards preserving and nurturing the environment for upcoming generations.”

Grants totaling $20,000 were awarded to the following 13 schools:

● Big Pine Elementary – Big Pine, CA

● Glen Oak Elementary – Glendora, CA

● Galileo Academy Elementary – Victorville, CA

● Braddock Drive Elementary – Culver City, CA

● Four Creeks – Visalia, CA

● Gus Franklin Jr. Stem Academy – Victorville, CA

● Heideman Elementary – Tustin, CA

● Los Alisos Intermediate – Mission Viejo, CA

● Maple Elementary – Fullerton, CA

● Liberty Elementary – Riverside, CA

● Lugo Elementary – Lynwood, CA

● Park View Elementary – Simi Valley, CA

• Roosevelt Elementary – Tulare, CA

ABOUT NATIONAL PARK TRUST

National Park Trust’s mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow. Since 1983, the Park Trust has acquired many of the missing pieces of our national parks, benefiting 55 national park sites across the country. Our national youth education and family initiatives, including our Buddy Bison, College Ambassador and Military Family Programs, and National Kids to Parks Day, serve tens of thousands of children annually and cultivate future park stewards. We believe our public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed, and preserved by all for current and future generations. Find out more at parktrust.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ivan Levin at 540.818.5818 or ivan@parktrust.org.