It’s August 25, and the National Park Service was created on this date in 1916. When you think of the National Park Service, you probably think of parks and wide open spaces and sites where people can explore nature, but that is only one part of the National Park Service. The NPS also covers national lakeshores, monuments, battlefields and other historic sites. Perhaps best of all, there is probably a site under NPS jurisdiction within a short drive of your home. We encourage you to visit such a site, perhaps even as early as this weekend. It would make for a nice late summer day and enhance your accredited middle school program, accredited high school program or independent study program.