Adventure Pass Grants Program

Geographic Scope: California statewide (19 initial locations, expanded to 54 participating parks as of November 2023)

Focus Areas:

• Enabling fourth graders and their families to access free California State Park Adventure Pass
• Addressing transportation barriers
• Providing culturally-relevant programming
• Creating meaningful outdoor experiences for young people

Eligibility:

• Community organizations
• Nonprofit organizations
• Local community groups
• Organizations capable of providing transportation and relevant programming for fourth graders and families

Program Description:
Designed and facilitated by Parks California in partnership with California State Parks, this program was created to help non-profits and local community organizations facilitate visits for fourth graders and their families to state parks. The Adventure Pass provides free entry for fourth graders and their families at participating state parks. The grant program addresses barriers such as lack of transportation, logistics challenges, and culturally-relevant programming at parks.

Background: The California State Park Adventure Pass was championed by First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and launched by California State Parks to encourage young people to build relationships with parks and outdoor spaces. As of the 2023 expansion, more than 50,000 passes have been provided to families.

Benefits of Program: Studies indicate spending time in parks and greenspace leads to improvements in physical well-being, social and emotional learning, and academic outcomes, with children experiencing reduced stress and demonstrating more enthusiasm for school.

Grant Cycle: February – December (2023 round)

Expected Impact: 2023 grants expected to help approximately 1,200 fourth graders and 2,700 family members access participating state parks.

Application Process

Based on 2023 round:

1. Eligibility Review - Organizations must meet eligibility criteria
2. Application Submission - Submit application with program proposal
3. Informational Webinars - Parks California hosts informational webinars explaining grant guidelines
4. Office Hours - Prospective applicants can attend office hours to ask questions
5. Partner Coordination - Park staff from Adventure Pass sites join webinars to allow nonprofits to connect directly with local state park partners
6. Selection and Notification - Selected grantees are announced

Required Components:

• Grant proposal addressing specific challenges preventing fourth graders from using Adventure Pass
• Program plan for activities and services
• Budget outlining use of grant funds (transportation vouchers, free activities, programming, multilingual resources)

Application Details: Specific submission format and additional requirements not detailed in provided content.