Every child deserves the chance to experience the outdoors. At Tennessee State Parks Conservancy, the Kids in Parks program exists to make that possible.
In 2025, together, we sent more than 5,000 students to Tennessee State Parks through Kids in Parks. Many of these students had never visited a state park before.
These experiences open doors to learning, confidence, and a lifelong connection to nature.
“This was transformative. Students that were afraid of getting dirty had muddy knees and big smiles as they reclaimed their seats on the bus to head back to school. “
That’s what we want to hear after a group of kids takes a trip to one of Tennessee’s state parks. This past school year we approved school trips for 5,000 students from across the state. More than half of those kids have never been to a state park. We fund transportation grants for Title 1 schools, and the park rangers do the rest. When rangers work with these kids, they are providing natural experiences in creeks and along trails while also building on the lessons they are learning in class by giving them hands-on-experiences.