ICYMI: Florida State Parks and Florida Prepaid Team Up to Inspire Learning, Adventure and Savings
May 21, 2025
DEP Press Office
850-245-2112
DEPNews@FloridaDEP.gov
Florida State Parks and Florida Prepaid Team Up to Inspire Learning, Adventure and Savings
Tallahassee, Fla. – Florida State Parks and the Florida Prepaid College Savings Program are once again partnering to help families invest in their children’s future while enjoying the natural wonders of the Sunshine State. Now in its fourth year, this joint effort highlights how exploration today can spark lifelong learning and open doors for tomorrow.
Through June 30, 2025, families can enter for a chance to win one of 10 prize packages that include a $1,000 Florida 529 Savings Plan scholarship, a Florida State Parks Family Annual Pass and a Junior Ranger gift pack featuring an inflatable stand-up paddle board.
Florida State Parks and the Florida Prepaid College Board share a mission: empowering Florida’s youth with knowledge, experience and opportunity. Whether discovering Florida’s rich ecosystems through the Junior Ranger Program or starting to plan for college with a Florida 529 Savings Plan, families can connect recreation with education in meaningful, lasting ways.
“Florida State Parks play a role in inspiring curiosity, stewardship and a love of Florida’s natural resources,” said Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis A. Lambert. “Partnering with Florida Prepaid allows us to support families in connecting that sense of wonder with meaningful educational opportunities for the future.”
From guided programs led by rangers to self-paced exploration at visitor centers or online as a Virtual Junior Ranger, Florida’s 175 state parks offer educational opportunities for children of all ages and abilities.
“Summer is the ideal time for families to focus on outdoor learning and exploration that is such an important part of a child’s preparation for postsecondary education,” said John D. Rood, Chairman of the Florida Prepaid College Board. “This partnership with Florida State Parks is a testament to the value our state places on active learning.”
The Florida 529 Savings Plan, a Morningstar medal-winning plan available only to Florida residents, offers flexible, affordable ways to save for college. Families can contribute when and how they choose, with automatic payments starting at just $25 per month. Today, there are more than 154,000 active Florida 529 Savings Plans, totaling more than $1.3 billion in savings.
To learn more about the Junior Ranger Program, the partnership and to enter for a chance to win, visit FloridaStateParks.org/FloridaPrepaid.
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