NPS Photo/G. Purifoy General Information About Ranger-Led School ProgramsValley Forge National Historical Park offers ranger-led, curriculum-based education programs for students in grades 3 to 12 in the form of in-park field trips and virtual online distance learning programs. Homeschool students may take advantage of the annual Homeschool Day held in October, where students participate in unique hands-on learning experiences at the park and rotate through multiple stations. Registration InformationUPDATED MARCH 2025: Reservations for the 2025-26 school year will become available in late summer or early fall of 2025. Eating Lunch in the ParkIf your group is planning to visit Valley Forge over the lunch hour, we suggest packing a picnic lunch as there are no full-service concessions on the premises nor indoor dining facilities. The Wayne's Woods and Varnum's picnic areas are best suited to accommodate school groups because they are both situated along the main tour route. Help protect the ecosystems and habitats at Valley Forge by practicing Leave No Trace principles. If a garbage can is full, please take your trash with you to dispose of properly outside of the park. Make Your Field Trip a Green Field TripBring reusable bottles, lunch bags/boxes, and food containers. Water filling stations and water fountains are available throughout the park. Print visit materials double-sided or use electronic copies — recycle whenever possible. Review and share the seven principles of Leave No Trace with students. Bus idling is prohibited. Additional Self-Guided Educational ActivitiesSelf-guided educational materials can be found on the Lesson Plans webpage and the Self-Guided Homeschool Activities page. Watch the 19-minute park orienation film online If you don't want to lead a self-guided tour of the park, you may also reach out to our partner, The Encampment Store, at Private Tours at Valley Forge National Historical Park (encampmentstore.org) to book a private tour. In-Park Field Trip ProgramsRiding Through HistoryGrades: 6 - 12 Park Rangers will lead students in discussions and debates as they Ride Through History at Valley Forge. Your bus will stop at the Muhlenberg Brigade Huts, the National Memorial Arch, and Washington's Headquarters as rangers help the students discover how history impacts their lives. The school is responsible for providing a bus for this program. Rangers will board the bus at the Visitor Center at Valley Forge, ride with the students for the duration of the program, and will be dropped off back at the visitor center at the conclusion of the program. You and your class are welcome to eat lunch in the park at one of our picnic areas after the program. Meets Pennsylvania State Standard:
Meets Common Core Standard:
*Exceptions to the class size requirements may be granted to special needs classes. Soldier LifeGrades: 3 - 6 Join the Continental Army to learn about Valley Forge through hands-on interactive activities exploring the diversity, sacrifice, and perseverance of the encampment's participants. Park rangers dressed in period clothing will take students on an exploration of the landscape, people, and history of Valley Forge. Students and teachers will join the ranger on a .25 mile walk from the visitor center to the reconstructed huts at Muhlenberg's Brigade. Meets Pennsylvania State Standards:
*Exceptions to the class size requirements may be granted to special needs classes. Washington's LeadershipGrades: 3 - 6 Extend your learning and take full advantage of your educational trip to Valley Forge by adding a thirty-minute program at Washington's Headquarters to learn about the unique leadership qualities of General Washington that helped to keep the American Revolution alive. A park ranger will meet your group at the Historic Valley Forge Station and invite students to learn about Washington's leadership through dialogue, questions, and answers. The program includes a tour of Washington's Headquarters. Meets Pennsylvania State Standard:
Meets Common Core Standards:
*Exceptions to the class size requirements may be granted to special needs classes. Distance Learning ProgramsDistance Learning programs are conducted by park rangers online using Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Valley Forge: A Turning PointDuration: 45 min to 1 hour When the Continental Army marches into Valley Forge on December 19th, 1777, there have already been two and a half years of the American Revolutionary War. The most recent, mostly unsuccessful Philadelphia Campaign led to the British capture of the American capital, Philadelphia. Learn why the Americans choose Valley Forge as their strategic winter encampment, what happens during the six months after marching in, and what the reorganization, resupply, and rest do for the Continentals as they continue the war for another five years.Meets Pennsylvania State Standards:
Register OnlinePick from a selection of programming options and dates and book a field trip for your class today! |
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Last updated: March 1, 2025