Greetings from Shenandoah National Park

More than 100 children from Arlington, VA visited Shenandoah National Park in April on a trip made possible by the Every Kid in a Park program. These children were part of an after-school educational program managed by AHC Inc., whose mission is to produce and preserve high quality affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families in the mid-Atlantic region and to build strong futures for its residents through onsite educational programs.

Exposing program participants who live in affordable housing to new concepts and experiences is a foundational element of AHC’s mission.

This year’s theme for the hundreds of children who joined in AHC educational programs was National Parks. The study culminated in a trip for the students, ranging in ages from kindergarten through fifth grade (5-11 years old), with one seventh grade sibling (13 years old), to Shenandoah National Park.

Planning the educational components and the field trip were carried out by AHC Resident Services staff, who brainstormed ideas/topics that were relevant, current and that lent themselves to fun, enriching activities and trips. The National Parks Centennial was a great fit. The National Park Service provided resources and materials for children to celebrate the centennial which assisted with the planning. Their ideas were engaging so we knew the kids would love it. The children associate parks with playgrounds and we were excited to broaden their understanding.

Throughout the school year, program participants engaged in a variety of activities exploring topics like recycling, caves, animals, habitat conservation, and map reading. Starting in January, staff began preparing the kids for the culminating event–the Shenandoah National Park field trip. We explored the flora and fauna of Shenandoah. Volunteers brought in magazines, calendars, and maps to add to the children’s exploration and understanding of the park environment. The kids planned their hiking trip and requested appropriate provisions. We even created cooking experiences where they learned to make “walking tacos” and “s’mores in a cone”! Of course, safety procedures were covered as well.

AHC prioritizes participant enrichment. Hiring private buses is a huge expense but it is one that AHC incurs twice during the school year and six times over the summer because the trips allow the participants to have new experiences which builds their general knowledge including vocabulary. The fourth grade passes were an essential component for accessibility. It would have been prohibitively expensive for us to bring 100 children into the park on three charter buses without that option.

More experiences make their school lessons more accessible to them. We used a substantial portion of our enrichment budget to reserve transportation. Staff visited the park before the trip to ensure the proper amenities were accessible such as bathrooms, parking, hiking, and picnic areas. The Dickey Ridge Visitor Center and Picnic Area adjacent to the Fox Hollow Trail was the perfect spot!

The children enjoyed all aspects of the National Park experience. For a very long time, their concept of “park” was only the type that has slides and swings. It was challenging for them to conceptualize a National Park. They gasped at the stunning vistas; they hiked a trail and learned to read trailheads and trail markers while stopping to notice flowers, birds, and lichen.

Sincerely,
Lotus Chen, Resident Services Manager, AHC, Arlington, VA