National Park Trust announced the recipients of its 2026 Kids to Parks Day School Grants Program, which helps under-resourced schools connect students with parks, public lands and waterways across the country. The grants celebrate National Kids to Parks Day, an annual day of outdoor play founded by the National Park Trust and held every third Saturday in May at public lands and waters across the United States.
Officials reported that 118 grants were awarded to 99 schools to support student park experiences. In several cases, multiple classrooms or grade levels within a single school received funding. In total, the Park Trust awarded $121,000 in funding. These grants will benefit more than 6,500 students in grades pre-K through 12 across 31 states, Washington, D.C., American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
The Kids to Parks Day School Grants Program emphasizes student leadership and collaboration between students and teachers. Grant applications are grounded in the three pillars of the Park Trust’s Youth and Family Programs:
- Education, using parks as outdoor classrooms.
- Health and wellness, experiencing the benefits of hands-on outdoor recreation.
- Stewardship, completing projects that directly support parks and the environment.
“We are pleased to empower students across the country to celebrate National Kids to Parks Day by providing the important resources needed to visit, enjoy and steward our public lands and waters,” said National Park Trust Executive Director Grace Lee. “We are very grateful for our donors whose generosity allows us to make a meaningful difference by connecting thousands of students to the wonders of our parks.”
Highlights of this year’s grant proposals:
- 93 public land sites will be visited, including national, state, and local parks and historic sites.
- 69 elementary school classrooms, 19 middle school classrooms, and 30 high school classrooms were awarded grants.
- Trips will range from Coyote Creek State Park (N.M.) to El Yunque National Forest (Puerto Rico) to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (N.C./Tenn.).
For the complete list of 2026 Kids to Parks Day School Grants recipients, visit https://parktrust.org/2026-kids-to-parks-day-school-grants-program-grantees/.