Building Bridges in the Outdoors: National Park Trust and Iron Star Foundation
National Park Trust is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that protects at-risk land inside national parks and expands access so more people can build lasting connections to those places. This summer, that mission is taking on a new shape in Washington, DC by bringing students and police officers together outdoors.
Through a partnership with Iron Star Foundation, and with generous support from the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, National Park Trust is using parks as spaces for DC communities and police officers to meet, learn, and build trust together. From ropes courses to hands-on educational programs, these opportunities give students the chance to explore alongside the officers who serve their neighborhoods, outside the context most of them are used to seeing each other in.
Why a park is the right setting
A park strips away the usual roles. A ropes course rewards teamwork over rank. When students and officers are navigating the same trail or cheering each other across the same obstacle, the relationship starts from a shared experience instead of a title. That’s the kind of connection that tends to stick.
It’s also core to how National Park Trust thinks about access: meaningful time in a park, especially for young people, builds the kind of familiarity that turns into lasting care for these places and the people in them.
Where students have gone this summer
A few of the trips so far in summer 2026 include:
River Riders Waterpark & Ropes Course
Glen Echo Park Aquarium & Carousel
Each trip pairs a different group of DC students with officers for a full day outdoors, with more planned through the rest of the summer.
“The National Park Trust partnership with Iron Star Foundation and Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia has helped build trust in communities that have some of the most traumatic experiences and most Police interactions, due to where they reside. These field trips for the kids and families from the Sixth District are so much more than just a trip,” shared Officer Sharlynn Plows.
“The field trips open their eyes and minds to other cultures, communities, and possibilities. This partnership has truly given the youth a chance to dream bigger and develop independence, to conquer tasks on their own in a safe environment.”
Support the work
Partnerships like this one are possible because of supporters who believe parks can do more than protect land, they can bring communities closer together. Visit National Park Trust’s Ways to Support page to help fund more field trips like these.
About National Park Trust
National Park Trust is an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has protected national park land since 1983, acquiring missing pieces of our national parks and benefiting 58 national park sites nationwide. Our mission is to preserve parks today and create park stewards for tomorrow.
Our youth education and family initiatives — Buddy Bison School Programs, College Ambassador Program, and Military Family Programs, along with National Kids to Parks Day — connect tens of thousands of people to the outdoors each year.
We believe public parks, lands, and waters should be cared for, enjoyed, and preserved by all, for current and future generations. Learn more at parktrust.org.
