National Park Trust (NPT), Atlanta, Ga., USA, in partnership with the Georgia-Pacific Foundation (Atlanta), announced this week that M. Agnes Jones Elementary is the newest addition to NPT's nationally recognized Buddy Bison School Program. The program uniquely integrates environmental education with outdoor recreation.

Now in its sixth year, the Buddy Bison School Program is in support of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative and grew out of a need to encourage young people to discover and explore America's parks and public lands and water. Sixty schools across the country have joined the program, which focuses on cultivating park stewards and outdoor enthusiasts in predominantly under-served communities. M. Agnes Jones Elementary is the first school in Atlanta to be welcomed into the program.

"We look forward to our new partnership with the Georgia-Pacific Foundation," said National Park Trust Board Chair Bill Brownell. "Parks are wonderful outdoor classrooms. As our newest Buddy Bison school, the third-grade students from M. Agnes Jones Elementary will learn not only about the fascinating science and history that exists right in their backyard, but they will also experience the health and wellness benefits of playing outdoors in parks."

Georgia-Pacific's Director of Community Affairs JaKathryn Ross said that "as long-time supporters of education, we know that hands-on learning experiences are the key to making concepts come to life for students. We're excited to support NPT and give students from M. Agnes Jones, our partner school, a wonderful and fun learning opportunity through the Buddy Bison program."

The third-grade students at M. Agnes Jones Elementary are kicking off their program at Sweetwater Creek State Park yesterday (April 29) and today (April and 30)h. During this two-day period, 100 students and their teachers are hiking through the park learning about geology as they observe faulted and folded rock created by plate tectonic events. They also learn about adaptions of animals and how they interact with the environment. Students will continue to explore parks throughout the 2015 – 2016 school year.

National Park Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to the preservation and protection of U.S. critical parks and engaging the nation’s youth—especially those that are under-served—to parks and the outdoors. Through the Buddy Bison School Program and Kids to Parks Day, a national grassroots movement celebrated annually in May, NPT is building a greater awareness of and appreciation for the importance of our nation's parks. NPT is preserving parks today and creating park stewards for tomorrow.

More information about National Park Trust and Kids to Parks is available online.