NPS

NICODEMUS–For two days this month – April 21 and April 26 – over 260 fourth grade students from local elementary schools will be participating in an “Every Kid in a Park” event at Nicodemus National Historic Site.

The event will include interactive living history demonstrations that introduce students to the history of Nicodemus by engaging with residents and community descendants through a partnership with the local Nicodemus Historical Society.

Students will learn how Nicodemus illustrates the way African Americans helped settle the West. Activities will touch on the value of finding freedom to create a new life in western Kansas after the end of Reconstruction.

Every Kid in a Park is a nationwide program sponsored by the National Park Foundation (NPF). These NPF grants provide funding for tens of thousands of students to visit National Parks annually. The goal of Every Kid in a Park is to connect fourth graders with the great outdoors and inspire them to become environmental stewards and advocates to help preserve and protect national parks and other public land for years to come. The program is an important extension of the National Park Service’s 2016 centennial celebration, which encourages everyone to #FindYourPark.

For more information on the Every Kid in a Park program, please contact Park Ranger Phyllis Howard at (785) 839-4254 or email Ranger Howard at [email protected].

The town of Nicodemus is symbolic of the pioneer spirit of African Americans. These settlers dared to leave the only region they had been familiar with to seek personal freedom and the opportunity to develop their talents and capabilities. Nicodemus NHS represents the western expansion and settlement of the Great Plains, and includes five buildings: The First Baptist Church, St. Francis Hotel, Nicodemus School District Number One, African Episcopal Church, and Township Hall.