Our Mission
To preserve our Kentucky State Parks by helping kids fall in love with nature.
Our Goal
Fund the transportation costs for Kentucky’s youth to visit our beautiful State Parks and Historical Sites.
What We Believe
Kentucky’s youth should have access to our Kentucky State Parks.
Kentucky’s State Parks & Historical Sites are worth preserving.
Kentucky’s youth won’t care about our Kentucky State Parks and Historical Sites if they never experience them.
The best way to preserve our Kentucky State Parks is to help Kentucky’s youth develop a lifelong relationship with them.
“No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they’ve never experienced.”
- DAVID ATTENBOROUGH
How the Kentucky Parks Club Works
step 1
Buy KY Club Merch
Your purchases help fund transportation to educational programs at our Kentucky State Parks & Historical Sites.
Our Inside Out Education program partners with Kentucky Schools to increase access for K-12 students so they can experience educational programs in an outdoor classroom environment.
step 2
Kids Go to KY Parks
Students gain access to Kentucky State Parks where they:
Discover their natural, cultural, and historical heritage
Participate in volunteer and service-learning activities
Enjoy recreational activities and learn in an outdoor environment
step 3
Kids ❤️ KY Parks
Kentucky Students:
Develop a lifelong relationship with our Kentucky State Parks
Experience the outdoors in a life changing way
Fall in love with Mother Nature
Become lifelong Kentucky Park Ambassadors
Kentucky Parks Club Impact Since 2014
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We get Kentucky’s youth in front of Mother Nature’s big screen
A Life Changing Experience
Pennyrile State Resort Park
We are working with UK on a year-long water unit where students will design a water quality research project and complete the research in the spring. Students were able to explore the various components of ecosystems, biodiversity, benthic macroinvertebrates, and do water testing. One particular component of water testing, Dissolved Oxygen, can only be tested on site.
One student in particular had never been to a state park before and had a blast. She participated in water testing and even held several crawdads and caught a frog. She loved it and can’t wait to go back!
The Inside Out Education program has been amazing for my classroom. I am greatly appreciative!
- Dr. Stacey Cornette, Muhlenberg County HS
Carter Caves State Resort Park
This was a Great Experience for our students! The organization of the R.E.A.C.H. program the park developed was great. I liked that we could select age appropriate activities for our students. As, explained in our application our group was composed of Special Education Students that do not excel in the classroom. It was so rewarding to observe a group of students that are typically not enthusiastic about learning be so engaged and active. The IOE initiative gave our group the opportunity to get out of the classroom and experience learning in a way that better meets their needs.
- Jessica Tipton, Madison Central High School
Waveland State Historic Site
Our students have been studying Kentucky history and Appalachian culture for 4 weeks. Students were able to see real artifacts, as apposed to pictures and videos, at Waveland. One group of students were able to see the memory art created by human hair. Because the students were able to study this tradition prior to coming, students were amazed at the details and how delicate the artwork was. One student was very sad upon seeing the slave quarters at Waveland but also said he was glad to see it. He is African American and knows how important it is to see the good and the bad part of history. When this student entered my classroom, his mother noted that he was not “into” learning. By the end of the year he said he wanted to stay in 2nd grade for 70 years.
- Jill Van Dyke, Daniel Boone Elementary
We help Kentucky kids use their outside voice!
What Kentucky Kids Have to Say…
Big Bone Lick State Park
My favorite thing at Big Bone was the fossil hunt. I really loved getting dirty and finding cool fossils!
- 3rd Grader Beechgrove Elementary
Fort Harrod State Park
This was way better than Walmart!
- 2nd grader daniel boone school
Waveland Historic Site
I just have to clean my room, I don’t think I would like chores in Waveland.
- 2nd grader daniel boone school
Dear KY Parks Club,
We are writing this letter to thank everyone who helped with our field trip to Pine Mountain State Park. We will never forget this amazing experience!
First of all, we greatly appreciate that the funds for the trip were provided by a grant and didn’t cost our school any money. This trip have gave us opportunities to study new science and social studies topics. While at the park, we learned about landslides and water sheds, as well as different types of landforms. We also went on a guided hike. This allowed us to exercise, while at the same time, it gave us a personal experience of nature. In addition to learning about nature, we also heard a Chautauqua story teller. He was amazing! Thank you for making these experiences possible.
We will be able to use the information we learned both at school and in our daily life. The information about landslides, water sheds, and landforms will be used in science and social studies, science fair projects, and even KPREP. Also, the naturalists at the park taught us safety tips that would be helpful for outside activities such as camping and hiking. Furthermore, we may even use the information we learned for a future job. Some students may want to be forest rangers, environmentalist, or naturalists. By providing us with the opportunity to go on this trip, you have opened up many doors for our future.
Because you have done so much for us, we want to do something for you! We are going to make you a promise. We promise to use what we have learned to help our school and community. We will think about the environment more, and we will encourage people in our community to help us take better care of our town. We also promise to make good grades in school. This trip has motivated us to work hard so that you will continue to help us participate in these types of activities. Our final promise is to work hard to accomplishing our goal of going to college and getting a good job. Thank you for providing an experience that has inspired us to be better students as well as member of our community.
To conclude, we are very thankful that you made it possible for us to go on our trip. We will never forget what you have done for us!
Sincerely,
4th and 5th Grade Students
Barbourville Elementary
