Relaunch of Every Kid in the Park-Year 4, Availability of the Fourth Grade Pass and Other Interagency Passes

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
http://www.blm.gov

August 24, 2018

In Reply Refer To:
1115 (420) P

EMS TRANSMISSION 08/31/2018
Information Bulletin No. 2018-073

To:                   All Washington Office and Field Office Officials
                        Attn:  State Youth Leads, State Education Leads, Hands on the Land Site Coordinators, National Conservation Lands Managers

From:              Assistant Director, National Conservation Lands and Community Partnerships

Subject:           Relaunch of Every Kid in the Park-Year 4, Availability of the Fourth Grade Pass and Other Interagency Passes     

This information bulletin contains information regarding the 2018/2019 Every Kid in a Park Fourth Grade Pass Program.  Included are ordering instructions, guidance regarding voucher retention and disposal, information about changes to the Interagency Pass Program, and a digital copy of the updated 2018-2019 Every Kid in a Park brochure (Attachment 1).

The Every Kid in a Park Program begins its fourth year on September 1, 2018.  Fourth graders who present an Every Kid in a Park voucher or pass, part of the America the Beautiful (National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands or Interagency) Pass Program, can access hundreds of parks, public lands, and waters.

BLM offices and all appropriate staff are encouraged to host, participate in, and publicize events and activities for fourth graders, their teachers, and their families throughout the year.  Fourth graders can exchange vouchers for passes at events held on BLM lands and facilities or at other venues.  Visible BLM involvement in Every Kid in a Park will help to ensure that as many fourth graders as possible are reached during the upcoming school year.

2018/2019 Pass Ordering Instructions
The ordering process for the Fourth Grade Pass is the same as for other passes in the Interagency Pass program, and all products must be ordered through the Printed Materials Distribution Service (PMDS) in Denver, CO.  Interagency Passes are accountable property and are (with few exceptions) issued only to state offices for further distribution.  Field office staff should send their pass orders to the state office employee who is assigned the duty of ordering forms and publications from PMDS.  The 2018/2019 Fourth Grade Pass is valid September 2018 through August 2019.  These passes are not to be issued to the public until September 1, 2018.

Destruction of 2017/2018 Fourth Grade Passes
All remaining inventories of the 2017/2018 Fourth Grade Passes are to be destroyed effective September 1, 2018, by each office.  These passes are accountable government property and must be shredded, not thrown into the trash or recycling bins.  Before destruction, the types of pass(es) and the assigned number(s) should be noted in the Pass Tracking Log.

Fourth Grade Pass Training Materials Available
BLM employees can access training videos, Interagency Pass Program Standard Operating Procedures, recorded WebEx training sessions, voucher redemption instructions, and other training materials on the Fourth Grade Pass Program at: http://web.blm.gov/wo-170/wo-172/wo172_youth/resources/ekip.html

Accountability for Passes Distributed and Vouchers Redeemed
The training materials at the Intranet site mentioned above describe how to account for the Fourth Grade passes distributed and vouchers redeemed.  As with all passes in the Interagency Pass Program, Fourth Grade passes distributed must be recorded in the BLM's Collections & Billing System (CBS).  In addition, since fourth graders must present a valid paper voucher printed from the Every Kid in a Park website to receive a Fourth Grade Pass, the paper voucher number must be entered into the central Every Kid in a Park voucher redemption website by the issuing office.  Once voucher numbers have been entered into the Voucher Redemption website, there is no need to retain the paper vouchers.  Be sure the paper vouchers are shredded, then recycled; do not dispose of them intact.

States or offices that conduct outreach activities and distribute Fourth Grade passes must collect or print vouchers for each pass distributed and must enter voucher numbers on the redemption website.  Vouchers can also be downloaded and printed in bulk (up to 50 at a time).  Prior to conducting Every Kid in a Park activities and events, staff should work with fourth grade teachers to ensure that students have the vouchers.  Directions for bulk printing are available at: https://www.everykidinapark.gov/get-your-pass/educator

For more information or if you have questions about outreach and partnerships associated with the Fourth Grade Pass, please contact Derrick Baldwin, Acting Education Program Lead, Education, Interpretation and Partnerships Division (WO-420), at 970-882-1145, or by email at dbaldwin@blm.gov.

Signed by:                                                                   Authenticated by:
Christopher J. McAlear                                               Robert M. Williams
Assistant Director                                                       Division of IT Policy and Planning,WO-870
National Conservation Lands and
    Community Partnerships

1 Attachment
            1 – 2018-2019 Every Kid in a Park Brochure (2 pp)