Washington – October 14, 2026 -- The National Park Foundation (NPF) has awarded more than $1 million in grants to support over 20 projects that bring immersive science learning to middle and high school students in national parks across the U.S.
The grants fund NPF's Field Science program for the 2026-27 school year. Projects combine classroom-aligned engagements, extended in-park experiences, out-of-school-time programs and community involvement. NPF developed them with parks, local schools, community centers and science education programs.
Grantees pair students with park scientists on fieldwork
Ecologik Institute will connect students to Cabrillo National Monument to do fieldwork with park staff, contribute to habitat restoration and analyze data with scientist-mentors. Glacier Peak Institute will run a multi-part investigation of wildfire and the carbon cycle with high school students at North Cascades National Park. The investigation combines classroom learning with field research and an evaluation of wildfire management strategies.
At Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Las Vegas Valley high schoolers will work with National Park Service paleontologists, U.S. Geological Survey research geologists and undergraduate students. They will excavate fossils, prepare them for transport and collect contextual data from surrounding sediments.
Teacher training and district-wide models extend the reach
Arizona Deserts National Parks Partnership will train up to 10 teachers to design and run student-led, inquiry-based learning. The effort links local students to Chiricahua National Monument, Coronado National Memorial and Fort Bowie National Historic Site. Teachers will then lead classroom sessions and distance learning, and arrange visits to one or more of the parks.
Oakland Unified School District will take 6th-12th grade students to Point Reyes National Seashore on day trips and overnight excursions. The program belongs to a district-embedded model in which students learn outdoors across multiple public lands and park systems at every grade level.
Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park will expand its programming at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Students will keep nature journals and present their findings in a gallery exhibit at their school.
NPF targets career pathways in science and conservation
The projects are designed to reach students whether or not they have visited a park before. They aim to build familiarity with scientific tools and expose students to career paths.
NPF Chief Program Officer Mike Reynolds said the funding helps students see that careers in science and conservation are "paths they can pursue for themselves."
Donors supporting the work include Randi and Bob Fisher, American Airlines and Nature Valley. NPF funded $100 million in on-the-ground priority projects nationwide in 2025.