Transporting Title I Schools to Zion, Cedar Breaks, and Pipe Spring

“The education of the field trip was my favorite part,” explains a 4th grade student after visiting Pipe Spring National Monument in 2018. When their school traveled to the park, students learned how to make butter, lasso, and listened to why conserving water in their desert home is important. When asked if they would have liked to have worked at Pipe Spring if they had been alive during the 1870s, one student claimed: “I would want to so I could help my family and community.”

In 2018, Pipe Spring, Cedar Breaks, and Zion park rangers hosted field trips from schools across Washington, Iron, and Kane Counties. Field trips brought more than 3,000 students to the parks last year. With the realities of school budgets, few schools would have this opportunity without the Zion Forever Project meeting two specific needs. The Forever Project funded six seasonal park rangers that lead field trips at all 3 parks, and provided bus scholarships for schools that were interested in visiting the park but lacked the resources to hire buses to transport their students. A Heritage Elementary educator explains why continued support for this program is critical: “Some children never have the opportunity to see the National Parks in this area due to financial and economic difficulties. As a 5th grade teacher I love having the opportunity to take the students to Zion National Park!” In 2019, Pipe Spring, Cedar Breaks, and Zion want to continue supporting Title I students education via field trips to their hometown parks.