Record Number of Trips Provided by Buddy Bison School Program

Learning about petroglyphs, meeting animal ambassadors, or paddling in a canoe may not be a typical field trip for most kids, but it is for our Buddy Bison students! 

As the 2022-2023 school year comes to a close, we are excited to celebrate our work in partnership with numerous Title I schools, parks, and enviornmental education organizations across the country.

Each year, the Buddy Bison School Program provides fully funded park experiences that enhance classroom curricula, foster health and wellness through outdoor recreation, and mentor future park stewards. 

Our 99 elementary and middle schools represent 30 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, D.C. Thanks to the record-breaking 228 park trips that were funded by our sponsors and supporters, our team connected 14,706 students to the great outdoors. 

Some highlights include:

Thanks to funding from the National Park Service, 4th and 5th graders from Washington Jesuit Academy went fishing for the first time at Kingman Island in Washington, D.C., and they were excited to take their fishing poles and tackle boxes home.

Thanks to the Caesars Foundation, kindergarteners from Morgan Elementary in Paducah, KY visited Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area to learn about native wildlife – and to meet Buddy Bison!

3rd graders from M. Agnes Jones Elementary in Atlanta, GA, took a hike and tested soil samples at the Chattahoochee Nature Center, thanks to the generosity of the Georgia Pacific Foundation.

Also supported by the Caesar’s Foundation, 5th graders from Hollingsworth Elementary explored Valley of Fire State Park, NV, where they hiked and learned about petroglyphs.

National Park Trust thanks all of our Buddy Bison teachers, partners and sponsors for a very successful school year. We look forward to exploring and discovering more parks with our students next year.