Symetra Financial Corporation today announced the expansion of its National Park Trust relationship by bringing the organization’s Buddy Bison™ School Program to Bryant Elementary School in Mableton, Georgia. Symetra has worked with its national environmental partner since 2022, funding more than $200,000 of educational programming and park access for more than 700 students in Title I1 schools in Connecticut, Iowa and Washington.
Dedicated to preserving the country’s national parks and to environmental education, National Park Trust is working to create a pipeline of future park stewards by connecting kids to parks. The Buddy Bison program helps more than 20,000 students in 40 states annually connect with parks around the country. More than 80 percent of participating students qualify for free or reduced-priced lunch, the federal indicator of low income.
Prioritizing environmental sustainability is a core commitment of Symetra’s corporate social responsibility initiative, Symetra Social Impact, and includes supporting outdoor opportunities, education and social justice programming for underserved communities to ensure fair access and address the disproportionate effects of climate change.
“We are proud to grow our National Park Trust partnership and our support of inclusive programming that increases access and connectivity to the outdoors for underserved youth. Our hope is that by connecting our students to the outdoors it will spark an interest in science, a love of nature and a passion for preserving the environment,” said Sharmila Swenson, VP, Public Affairs and Social Impact.
Bryant Elementary School’s Buddy Bison programming kicked off earlier this month for 135 second graders who took a journey through the night sky when Chattahoochee Nature Center staff brought an inflatable planetarium to the school to bring the constellations and phases of the moon to life. During a Nov. 18 visit to Bear Creek Nature Center, students participated in multiple hands-on educational activities, including interacting with some of the center’s resident reptiles, exploring the life cycle of a toad, and unraveling the mysteries of bats.
“As we embark on the fourth year of our partnership with Symetra, we are pleased to have their additional support for a fourth Buddy Bison School in Georgia. Their critical financial resources will transform parks into outdoor classrooms for hundreds of elementary school students this year — and we greatly appreciate the many Symetra employee volunteers who join us in supporting these students as they explore and discover parks in their community,” said Grace Lee, executive director, National Park Trust.
To learn more about Symetra’s environmental partnership with National Park Trust or hear from students about the impact of a Buddy Bison field trip to Olympic National Park in Washington, visit https://www.symetra.com/about-us/about-symetra/social-impact/planet-matters/national-environmental-partnership/.
1A Title I school is defined as a school that receives federal funding under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to support low-income students. This program aims to provide additional resources and support to schools with high concentrations of students from low-income families, helping them achieve academic success.
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