MEDIA RELEASE

The National Park Foundation has awarded Hawaii Volcanoes National Park a grant to support the launch of Digital Mountain: It’s My Park Film Festival, an innovative project for students in grades 7 – 12 to make a film about the trails in their National Park.

The grant is part of the National Park Foundation’s Active Trails program that uses national parks as a venue for community engagement and promotes healthy lifestyles through various forms of recreation and volunteer service on land and water trails.

“It is an honor to receive the Active Trails grant,” said Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “This exciting opportunity gives us another way to engage local youth in being active with their families on the trails in Hawaii Volcanoes, and the grant allows us to offer great prizes, including computers and cameras, to the young filmmakers.”

Digital Mountain: It’s My Trail Film Festival is a dynamic endeavor for seventh through twelfth graders. Students will participate in trail maintenance projects with their families and make a film illustrating why the park and the trails are important to them.

Students and teachers interested in learning more about the Active Trails project can contact Laura Williams at (808) 985-6304 or laura_williams@nps.gov.

The project begins Aug. 1 and culminates with a gala event showcasing the films 6 p.m. Oct. 29 at Kilauea Visitor Center. The films will also be available for viewing on YouTube.

“With these grants, we’re actively encouraging Americans to personally connect with their national parks through fun and engaging activities that not only promote a healthy lifestyle, but also help protect and preserve some of the most treasured places on earth for generations to come,” said Neil Mulholland, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation.

The National Park Foundation, in partnership with the Coca-Cola Foundation, awarded Active Trails grants to 13 national parks across the country.

A full list of grantees and project descriptions will be available at www.nationalparks.org