Free Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger activity booklet at fort
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STEUBENVILLE -- Historic Fort Steuben in Steubenville is one of only 30 locations in 13 states across the country now offering the Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger program.
Youth, families and the young at heart can pick up a free Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger activity booklet and earn a Junior Ranger badge and be part of this national program that digs deeper into the history of the Corps of Discovery.
Participants can stop by the information desk at Historic Fort Steuben during open hours Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to pick up a booklet to complete during their visit.
"This program tells an inclusive history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, beginning with tribal homelands and highlighting the diverse backgrounds 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 particularly helpful for participants or guardians with low or no vision.
Another online feature allows participants to hear names of plants and animals in a few of the many Indigenous languages spoken along the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Families can access the Native Names of the Trail webpage to hear Arikara, Nimipuutímt (Nez Perce), Chinuk Wawa, Shoshoni, Lakota Sioux, and Myaamiaataweenki (Miami-Illinois).
Later this summer, program participants will be able to engage with tactile maps of the Lewis and Clark Trail. The 3D maps convey the scope and topography of the 4,900-mile expedition route and helps users with low or no vision access map information.
"We are especially pleased to have all these educational resources associated with the Lewis and Clark expedition since we only recently became part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail of the National Park Service," explained Paul Zuros, executive director at Historic Fort Steuben. "Steubenville is mentioned in the journal of Meriwether Lewis, and it's awesome to realize that these historic events happened on the river just beyond our site," Zuros added.
Historic Fort Steuben has a permanent display about Lewis and Clark in the Exhibit Hall and offers books and coloring books in the museum shop about the expedition.
"We want to remind kids that they can also become a Junior Ranger from home by visiting the Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger Online page and completing interactive activities," Zuros pointed out.
For information on the Lewis and Clark Trail Junior Ranger Program and kids activities visit the Lewis and Clark Trail's Kids and Youth page.
Historic Fort Steuben is located at 120 S. Third St., Steubenville. The number is (740) 283-1787.