Take Pride in America

Take Pride in America is a United States Department of the Interior partnership program that encourages individuals, civic groups, corporations and others to volunteer in caring for the public lands that it controls.

The program's primary activity in recent times has been to provide volunteer opportunities nationwide, including spending the summer as a tour guide at a national park or working on a wildlife habitat restoration project.

[6] Conservation groups had previously criticized Hodel and the Reagan Administration for prioritizing the exploitation of Federal lands for mining and energy extraction rather than for wildlife and recreation.

Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton re-launched Take Pride in America in April 2003[10] under the USA Freedom Corps, a council for service opportunities.

The Take Pride Schools program was launched in the fall of 2005 to introduce schoolchildren to volunteerism and to stimulate interest in and stewardship of America's public lands.

Marti Allbright, Gale Norton , and Clint Eastwood celebrate with Carmel River School students as the school was designated the first Take Pride in America school (2005).