The National Park Foundation says that 5,000 teachers have registered for the upcoming electronic field trip to Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park.
Nearly 100,000 students will be in the classrooms with those teachers on the date of the live broadcast, participating in activities led by park rangers and calling into the show to have questions answered live on air. The trip, a free resource, will take place Tuesday.
Called "Discovering the Mysteries of Bryce Canyon National Park," it includes two live hourlong broadcasts at 8 and 11 a.m. from the park that will be made available on participating public television stations.
The broadcast will also be available online at www.brycecanyoneft.org, featuring interactive lesson plans and games. The program is designed for students in fourth through eighth grades.
"The response from teachers and educators nationwide to the Bryce Canyon electronic field trip has been fantastic," said Neil Mulholland, president and chief executive officer of the National Park Foundation.
"We believe that these field trips are a win-win, as they help connect kids to parks, and help teachers provide rich learning experiences for their students free of charge."
The foundation also announced that 17 students from schools surrounding Bryce Canyon National Park have been selected to host the show with park rangers.
Students were selected from Panguitch elementary and middle schools and Bryce Valley Elementary and Bryce Valley High School in Tropic, Garfield County.
As of Monday, schools in 46 states and Japan, Canada, Germany, Cuba, Italy and Switzerland had signed up to participate in the program. Educators wishing to participate can visit www.brycecanyoneft.org.
The park foundation says that more than 36 million viewers have participated in its electronic field trip program, which seeks to remove geographical barriers to exploring the nation's national parks.
In the past, field trips have showcased Grand Teton National Park, Everglades National Park and Grand Canyon.
For more information, go to www.nationalparks.org.
e-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com