National Park Foundation Innovation Grant Will Help Expand Reach of National Mall Gateway Digital Learning Platform
National Park Foundation Innovation Grant Will Help Expand Reach of National Mall Gateway Digital Learning Platform
The Trust for the National Mall has received a $1.5 million innovation grant from the National Park Foundation (NPF) to strengthen and expand the reach of the National Mall Gateway and help ensure that any visitor can connect to the country’s history through America’s Front Yard. Built in partnership with the National Park Service National Mall and Memorial Parks, the National Mall Gateway is the Trust’s digital learning platform that invites visitors both on the Mall and virtually from anywhere to learn all the facts, history and the stories behind America’s most treasured monuments and memorials.
More than 40,000 visitors from around the nation have already tapped into the history and story of the country through the National Mall Gateway since it launched in September 2025. The Gateway has helped hundreds of teachers plan their class field trip or virtual field trip to the Mall and helped inspire greater connection to history and civics during the commemoration of America's 250th anniversary.
The NPF grant will support development and innovation upgrades for the Gateway platform and enable increased onsite and digital accessibility for students and educators -- including enhanced ADA accessibility and language translation. The funding will also help the Gateway become a model for scalability that can be replicated for other national parks across the nation.
"This transformative investment will power the next evolution of the National Mall Gateway, creating new and innovative ways for people across the country to explore the stories, ideals, and history that define our nation,” said Catherine Townsend, President & CEO of the Trust for the National Mall. “With support from the National Park Foundation, we are expanding digital learning opportunities that bring the National Mall beyond Washington, D.C., helping learners of all ages engage with civics, discover America's shared history, and deepen their connection to the people and events that shaped our democracy."
"The National Mall holds so many important stories that continue to shape our nation,” said NPF President and CEO Jeff Reinbold. “The National Park Foundation is proud to support the park and the Trust for the National Mall in bringing those stories to more people in a new, innovative way that will invite learners and visitors everywhere to connect with this extraordinary place more deeply.”
This grant is part of NPF's latest $12 million investment to support innovation to strengthen parks, expand what is possible, and ensure these extraordinary places endure for generations.
The Trust for the National Mall is the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan, privately funded philanthropic partner of the National Park Service, dedicated to restoring, enriching, and preserving the National Mall – America’s Front Yard – and President’s Park, including the White House grounds. Through private philanthropy, strategic partnerships, volunteer engagement, and innovative programs, the Trust helps steward some of America's most iconic public spaces, monuments, memorials, landscapes, and historic sites. The Trust advances restoration projects, supports preservation efforts, and creates educational and public engagement opportunities that enrich the experience of the more than 36 million people who visit each year. To learn more or to support our mission, visit www.nationalmall.org or contact information@nationalmall.org.