Take Pride in America and Voluntourism
- Launched the Take Pride in America voluntourism portal on www.TakePride.gov, connecting individuals and groups to volunteer vacation opportunities nationwide.
- Partnered with Travelocity to make available $5,000 voluntourism grants to Take Pride in America voluntourists.
- Completed the Toyota-sponsored “Voluntour Across America,” in which Take Pride in America staff drove more than 7,000-miles cross country and participated in dozens of local stewardship events.
Take Pride in America Schools Program
- Grew Take Pride in America Schools Program by nearly 20 percent.
- Launched the Toyota-sponsored Take Pride in America School Kit; which includes the necessary tools for school beautification projects, such as work gloves, seeds, and garbage bags.
Take Pride in America and Volunteer Policy & Partnerships
- Established Take Pride in America State Liaisons in all 50 states.
- Delegated Take Pride in America authority to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner in order to formalize a robust partnership with C.A.S.T. for Kids (Catch a Special Thrill).
- Partnered with ServiceNation to strengthen both national volunteerism policy and on-the-ground public lands stewardship.
- Supported volunteer management throughout public lands, including supporting the 44 national parks that received $2.4 million in new funding for volunteer management as part of President Bush’s National Park Centennial Initiative.
Take Pride in America Awards
- Honored the 15 most outstanding public lands stewardship projects and individuals through the Take Pride in America National Awards Ceremony.
- Coordinated the distribution of more than 726 awards to outstanding public lands stewards who collectively represent 1.3 million volunteer hours.
- Implemented the America the Beautiful Volunteer Pass which serves as a reward for those who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to volunteer service on federal public lands, and as an incentive for a new generation of stewards; the pass provides up to twelve months free admission to participating federal public lands, including national parks.