Unilever Awards $500,000 to the National Park Foundation to Bring 'America's Best Idea' to Underserved Youth Nationwide

33 national parks to create new programs inviting youth of all backgrounds to learn about their ancestries, gain leadership skills and discover the beauty of their parks

WASHINGTON, May 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Inspired by the epic Ken Burns documentary The National Parks: America's Best Idea, the National Park Foundation is proud to announce the second phase of a new grant program connecting underserved audiences, primarily people of color and youth, to the national parks.  The Foundation, in partnership with Unilever, has awarded America's Best Idea Grants to 33 national parks across the country to develop outreach strategies and engagement programs for people who are traditionally under-represented in their local national parks. 

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"As stewards of the parks, there is nothing more important than connecting our communities and young people to these treasured places," said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation.  "As the public learned in the Ken Burns documentary, the national parks were first protected by everyday citizens who loved these lands.  With these grants, we're bringing new audiences into the parks so they can also develop a lifelong commitment to these incredible spaces."

"At Unilever, we work to create a better future every day," said Fiona C. Laird, SVP Human Resources & Communications, Unilever Americas. "Our support of America's Best Idea Grants helps create a better future for both America's youth and our environment."

Some of the projects about to launch through the 2010 America's Best Idea Grants Include:

• Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area: The "Back to the Land" week-long field school program will bring high school students from the nearby Crow Indian Reservation to witness their history through hands-on experiences focusing on archaeological sites directly related to their ancestors.  
• Grand Teton National Park: The "Children in Nature Multicultural Engagement Program" will engage under-served Latino youth, and provide leadership development, mentoring or scaffolding opportunities, and study of the area's natural resources.
• St. Croix National Scenic Riverway: The "In a New Light" program will immerse at-risk teens in the beauty of the park as they embark on a photographic journey taught by professional nature photographers.  

A full listing of the current parks and others participating in the America's Best Idea grants is available here.

Additional support for the America's Best Idea Grants is generously given by The Ahmanson Foundation and other donors to the National Park Foundation.

About Unilever North America

Unilever works to create a better future every day.  We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.  Each day, around the world, we serve over two billion consumers. In the United States, Canada and the Greater Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico) the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Blue Band, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Omo, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 13,000 people across North America – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2009.  For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com, www.unilever.ca, or www.unilevercaribbean.com. 

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

You are the part-owner of 84 million acres of the world's most treasured landscapes, ecosystems, and historical sites -- all protected in America's nearly 400 national parks.  Chartered by Congress, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America's national parks.  We work hand in hand with the National Park Service to help connect you and all Americans to the parks, and to make sure that they are preserved for the generations who will follow.  Join us – This is Your Land.  www.nationalparks.org

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SOURCE National Park Foundation