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Educator Resources

In many communities, the National Association for Olmsted Parks is coordinating events and activities with member organizations to support outreach. If you live near an NAOP member park, they are likely to have an educational program for your class or school to participate in. Please refer to the list of NAOP member parks and partners.

Also offered here are links and suggestions for Olmsted and park websites.

Frederick Law Olmsted-National Historic Site

Education Programs use the Olmsted firm's historic design office, material in the Olmsted archives, the Fairsted landscape, the rehabilitated model shop, and other Olmsted-designed landscapes in greater Boston and beyond to explore the larger meanings, concepts and stories associated with the work and legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted.


Parks as Classrooms-National Parks Service

Parks are a great place to learn, whether it's history, biology or anything in between. Take your class to a park for an on-site lesson, or bring the park to your classroom through place- and standards-based activities.


Emerald Necklace Lesson Plans

These lesson plans are based on the Olmsted Park System in Boston, provided by the National Park Service's Teaching with Historic Places.


Good Neighbors – National Parks Program

Good Neighbors brings learning to life through a series of carefully sequenced, hands-on activities that unleash imaginative minds and address grade 3 learning standards.


Landscape Architecture Ideas

Landscape architecture is an exciting way to teach general concepts of planning, design, revision and execution. Building a model park like the one shown above is a hands-on activity before or after visiting an Olmsted landscape.


Central Park Conservancy

Discover tours, recreation and programs for the whole family.

Find things to see and do in Central Park.


Central Park – New York City

The landing site for educational programs and activities offered by Central Park staff and employees.

Boston’s Emerald Necklace

The parks landing page that depicts parks, activities and the work of the Conservancy.

Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy

Learn about Buffalo's parks an integrated parkways system.

Website Produced by WNED PBS

Frederick Law Olmsted: Designing Americais a co-production of WNED PBS, Buffalo/Toronto and Florentine Films/Hott Productions Inc., made possible by major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor and The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation. With funding provided by HSBC, The Tiffany & Co. Foundation and The C.E. & S. Foundation. With additional support from The Peter C. Cornell Trust and Mass Humanities.

© 2014 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association. All rights reserved.