News Stories

A day in the park for Sneads' Elementary fourth graders

Mobile District - Lake Seminole
Published July 18, 2016
Park Ranger Angela Griffin assists the Sneads Elementary fourth graders as they collect tadpoles at the Every Kid in a Park fieldtrip at Lake Seminole

Park Ranger Angela Griffin assists the Sneads Elementary fourth graders as they collect tadpoles at the Every Kid in a Park fieldtrip at Lake Seminole

Volunteer Ron Morrissey leads a group of Sneads Elementary fourth graders in Beach Ball Q+A, a game that quizzes students on facts about frogs, at the Every Kid in a Park fieldtrip at Lake Seminole

Volunteer Ron Morrissey leads a group of Sneads Elementary fourth graders in Beach Ball Q+A, a game that quizzes students on facts about frogs, at the Every Kid in a Park fieldtrip at Lake Seminole

Sneads Elementary fourth graders compete in the Water Safety Relay at the Every Kid in a Park fieldtrip at Lake Seminole

Sneads Elementary fourth graders compete in the Water Safety Relay at the Every Kid in a Park fieldtrip at Lake Seminole

Lake Seminole recently hosted fourth graders from Sneads Elementary School in Snead, Florida, participating in the Every Kid in a Park (EKIP) program at Lake Seminole. The program is an Administration-wide effort supported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and several other federal agencies. A day of adventure and learning at Jim Woodruff Dam and Lake Seminole was enjoyed by the 85 students in attendance on July 8th. The National Parks Foundation a non-profit organization sponsored lunch, snacks and program material for the EKIP fieldtrip. The students also were educated on proper fit of a lifejacket by competing in a water safety relay.

Tadpoles into frogs

The students were taught how frogs fit in the lake ecosystem and collected tadpoles. Volunteer Ron Morrissey used a beach ball game of questions and answers to quiz the students on facts about frogs. Park Ranger Angela Griffin assisted the students in collecting tadpoles so they could be taken back to the classroom to observe the transformation into frogs.

Every Kid in a Park Pass

President Barack Obama created Every Kid in a Park so fourth graders and their families could discover our wildlife, resources, and history for free.This is the first year of the Every Kid in a Park Program, an initiative to get children and their families outside and enjoying nature. The passes also can be used by the fourth graders with their family getting free access to hundreds of parks, and water for an entire year from September 1, 2015 through August 31, 2016. The pass grants entry for the fourth graders and three accompanying adults (or an entire car for drive-in parks). Please note that the fourth graders must be present at entry.

Fourth graders in the 2015-2016 school year can still obtain this pass at https://EveryKFidinaPark.gov/.

The program will continue thru 2016-2017 school year for fourth graders who can look forward to the opportunity to earn their voucher and visit parks across the nation. Fourth-grade educators can also download an activity and print the paper passes for each of their students.

Lake Seminole offer many educational programs to the public. For more information on scheduling a program or fieldtrip please visit http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/Lake-Seminole/ today.