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Reading with a Ranger

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Children and families are invited to explore their unique selves, their neighborhoods and their country through children’s literature and a group discussion led each weekend by a park ranger at Gateway Arch National Park.

Museum at the Gateway Arch

Gateway Arch National Park in partnership with Gateway Arch Park Foundation and Great Southern Bank’s Community Matters Program are thrilled to announce a new literacy program: Reading with a Ranger.

WHEN:
10 a.m., Saturdays, June 4, 11, 18, 25
1 p.m., Sundays, June 5, 12, 19, 26
WHERE: Education Room, Museum at the Gateway Arch
COST: Free to attend, but registration is required.
PARKING: Arch preferred parking is available through Stadium East Garage for a discounted rate of $9 (for the first five hours) upon validation inside the Arch. Pre-purchasing is highly recommended, especially on St. Louis Cardinals homegame days, otherwise day-of parking rates apply and tickets cannot be validated.
ACCOMMODATIONS REQUEST: If you would like to request ASL interpretation services or other reasonable accommodations for a disability, please contact Melissa Henderson of the National Park Service at Melissa_Corsaut@nps.gov as least two weeks in advance of the session you are interested in attending.

Made possible through funding from Great Southern Bank, Reading with a Ranger invites children and families to visit Gateway Arch National Park in June to receive a copy of a meaningful, themed children’s book, read it together with a park ranger, engage in a group discussion, and then do an activity connecting the book to the national park.

Reading with a Ranger will be offered every Saturday (10 a.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) during the month of June. The start times allow for a few minutes to get through national park security; the book reading will begin 15 minutes past the hour.

The program is designed to be sequential but also allows for one-off attendance, with each weekend encompassing a different theme:

  • Week 1, June 4-5: Marvelous Me
  • Week 2, June 11-12: Belonging
  • Week 3, June 18-19: Neighborhoods
  • Week 4, June 25-26: America

A parent or guardian must accompany every child; no drop-offs are allowed. The program will last approximately one hour. One book copy allocated per family. Session registration limited to the first 20 children signed up.

The program curriculum was developed in partnership with We Stories, a St. Louis nonprofit that uses the power of children’s literature to inspire conversation and change, helping families strengthen or begin discussions about race and racism and pursue action to create more inclusive communities.

Register Here

About the Books

Produced by

Gateway Arch Park Foundation
National Park Service