Program Hosted by Aktá Lakota Museum Wins First-Place Media Award

The Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger Program, a free kids program available at the Aktá Lakota Museum and Cultural Center, has won a first-place media award from the National Association for Interpretation (NAI).

After receiving top marks for thoughtful messaging and innovative online components, the Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger Activity Journal was awarded the first-place NAI Media Award in the book category.

The Aktá Lakota Museum, an outreach of St. Joseph’s Indian School, is one of 30 locations in 13 states along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail to host the Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger Program. Part of the National Park Service‘s popular Junior Ranger Program, the Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger Activity Journal is free to the public. Participants pick up a booklet and work on educational activities to earn a Junior Ranger badge.

“This program tells an inclusive history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, beginning with tribal homelands and highlighting the diverse backgrounds and skills of the expedition members,” said Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Superintendent Mark Weekley. “We’ve developed innovative, multimedia elements to make the program more engaging and accessible for all.” 

Read-along videos are available online so participants can hear the activities narrated and audio-described. This feature is beneficial for participants or guardians who are blind or partially blind. Families can also access a Native Names of the Trail webpage to hear plant and animal names in indigenous languages.

Three-dimensional topographic maps are available at the Aktá Lakota Museum and other sites hosting the Junior Ranger program. These maps have been designed to help blind or partially blind visitors perceive the Lewis and Clark Trail.

Find more information on the Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger Program on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail’s official website, www.nps.gov/lecl.

ABOUT THE LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL. The 4,900 mile long Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail follows the Lewis and Clark Expedition route across North America and passes through the territories of more than sixty tribes. For additional information about the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, please call 402-661-1806 or visit www.nps.gov/lecl and join the conversation by following @LewisandClarkNHT.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s more than 400 national parks and work with communities across the nation to preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.