Ascension class visits Department of Interior during D.C. trip

Students involved in National Park Service’s Class Act Project


NATION’S CAPITAL—The Ascension Lutheran School eighth-grade class learns about the nation’s history.

NATION’S CAPITAL—The Ascension Lutheran School eighth-grade class learns about the nation’s history.

Each year, the U.S. history curriculum for the eighth-grade class at Ascension Lutheran School in Thousand Oaks includes a journey to Washington, D.C. The class of 2016 traveled to the nation’s capital April 24 to 29.

Among their experiences, the Department of the Interior recognized the students as participants in the Class Act project through the National Park Service.

When Ascension’s class of 2016 was in the sixth grade, they were selected as students from only a few schools in the country to participate in the Class Act project in conjunction with their science class.

The NPR’s Class Act program was launched to help students develop an understanding of park resources and the relevance of parks in their lives.

To do so, the National Park Service adopted a class of 2016 graduates at every national park and developed a series of educational and engaging activities culminating in the NPS Centennial this year.

In the program, the students took part in many Class Act hikes and service projects over the three years.

As a closure to this journey and in honor of the 100th anniversary of the NPS, the students were invited to visit the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.

On April 27, they attended a special presentation in the South Penthouse that included NPS director Jonathan B. Jarvis and a keynote address by NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren. They were the only student group present along with VIPs and the media.

Ascension students shared their Class Act experiences with NPS executives.

“It was a key moment for our students to realize that their story and efforts had captured the attention of National Park Leaders,” said trip chaperone Jimmy Sweeden, interim director of youth ministry for Ascension Lutheran Church,

“And then we received thanks directly from Dr. Kjell Lindgren as he talked about seeing Earth from the outside, and was so grateful to everyone in the room for being good stewards of this beautiful planet,” he said.


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