Community Engagement
The C&O Canal Trust engages our canal community year-round through guided hikes, lockhouse open house days, youth and adult programming, community events, scout workshops, service projects, and more. Through our engagement and outreach initiatives, we are building a community of collective stewardship to ensure that the park remains a place of learning, exploration, and relaxation. We partner with organizations to bring youth and adult groups to a variety of locations in the park to explore the rich natural and historical resources of the C&O Canal. Our programs build community and personal self-confidence by giving people opportunities to discover their local national park and create lasting connections with each other.
Take a look at how we’re engaging with our canal community!
Some of our community partners include Boys and Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle, Youth City Matrix, Girls Who Hike VA, Community Bridges, Girls Inc. of Washington County, Girl Scouts Nations, ARC of Washington County, Capital Outdoor Afro, PALS Program, PeaceJam American University, TEENS Inc., and Upward Bound Program, Hagerstown Community College.
The Trust strives to create programs that are inclusive and accessible for all ages, abilities, and experience levels. We will work with you to create a program tailored to the specific needs of your group, while introducing participants to the parks’ historical and natural resources. Some examples of program activities can include:
- Arts or crafts
- Kayaking
- Water or yard games
- Journaling or descriptive writing
- Guided hike
- Historical tour and interpretation
- Canal Quarters lockhouse tour
- Outdoor exploration preparation and safety
- Vegetation and animal identification
- Trash and invasive vegetation removal
Canal For All
Through Canal For All, the Trust works in partnership with the National Park Service (NPS) to provide opportunities for education, stewardship, and volunteerism that are safe, welcoming, and inclusive for all. We partner with community organizations to diminish barriers to participation and to create exciting and relevant opportunities to Play, Learn, Serve, and Work in the C&O Canal.
Building the Canal For All Program began in 2016 with personal interviews engaging community groups and leaders. The Trust surveyed local needs and interests and researched similar programs throughout the country. Initial programming was offered in Montgomery County. Some of our initial program partners included Community Bridges, Identity, and Montgomery County’s TeenWorks and Conservation Jobs Corps (CJC) programs.
Today, the program has grown to serve hundreds of participants each year in Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, and Allegany Counties as we continue to build on successful interactions with community groups in the park. Youth and adult groups come to a variety of locations to explore the natural and historical resources the park has to offer. Time spent in National Parks enriches the lives of visitors, and in turn, visitors ensure that National Park treasures are protected for future generations. As we welcome a broad and vibrant group of visitors into the park, we strengthen our communities today and for the future.
If you or your organization is interested in partnering with the Trust for a program in the park, please contact our Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator at [email protected].
