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Field Trip Funds for Kids: Learning Beyond the Classroom
Grants are now available to pay for field trips!
Who is Eligible?
Field Trip Fund for Kids is designed to help schools with a high percentage of students that qualify for Free & Reduced lunches. However, other schools will be eligible, depending on availability of funds. Full elibility information is below.
Destinations
A variety of field trip destinations are available in your community and the surrounding natural environment.
The educational and civic engagement value of pre-approved field trip destinations has been documented by other teachers and the professional education staff at the destinations. Other destinations will be considered. We encourage you to think creatively about destinations and apply for one that makes sense for your and your students.
We encourage field trips which develop an understanding of place, the natural and human resources that we use and conserve. We encourage service-learning projects. We do not fund recreational and athletic field trips.
If you need assistance in "selling" your field trip to administration, parents or other funders, please consult The Value of Field Trips page.
Allowable Expenses
Grants pay for allowable costs:
- bus transportation via district or school buses, or via private bus companies; grant cannot pay for private automobile costs
- entrance fees to museums or areas
Other costs such as learning materials and food are not allowed. We encourage you to seek other funding for these costs, including the NNREC Conservation Education Mini-Grant Program.
To calculate the amount of grant that may be available to you, go to the calculation page.
Since the program is starting in spring 2008, the first round of grants may be limited.
Application
There are two application periods per year:
- spring: application period January 1-15, for field trips occurring February 1 to August 31
- fall: application period September 1-15, for field trips occurring October 1 to January 31
Apply now! Submit the online application form, or email, mail, or fax the application form in Word format. [applications are not open at this time; you may view the application form to see what information it requests, but it will do absolutely no good to send it in early]
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
If your field trip is to a pre-approved destination, you will select that destination on the application. If your field trip destination is not on the pre-approved list, you will be asked to provide additional information about the educational and civic engagement value of the field trip. We encourage you to contact us ahead of time (well before the application period opens) so that we can tell you exactly what needs to be provided.
We are not responsible for any circumstance beyond our immediate control, and difficulties on the part of yourself, your school, or your Internet service provider will not be considered.
Selection
Grant recipients are selected on criteria established by NNREC with the assistance of the funding partners. The criteria will include:
- a focus on low-income students and their classrooms
- date of application
- a pre-approved destination, or docmentation of the educational and civic engagement value of the proposed destination
- funds available in each grant cycle
- consideration of the environmental literacy goals of NNREC and its funding partners
Award
The grant will be awarded based on your best estimate of expenses. The grant award holds the funds for you. We do not send you a check, but instead pay invoices submitted after the field trip.
We accept only official invoices or sales receipts showing actual costs. We prefer that you or your school support staff collect and forward on to us the paperwork, since in most cases the grant award will pay only part of the actual costs and you or the school will be covering the remainder. Scan the paperwork into a pdf document that can be emailed, or send paper copies, not originals. Payment will be made within 30 days of receipt. Payment can be made to you, a school fund, or the district.
Though we normally pay after the field trip for actual expenses incurred, we will make exceptions for classrooms who could not otherwise attend. The grant award will be adjusted after the field trip to reflect actual costs, which may involve you refunding money to us, or us adding additional money. Please make sure you check "pre-payment required" on the application form. We will contact you to discuss the particular reasons why pre-payment is required, and to arrange payment method and timing. You will be required to sign a contract specifying payment, adjustments, and return of money if the field trip does not occur.
For more information on the program, please contact Dan Allison, , 775-882-2375.
