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New Field Trip Grants Program Brings Learning to Life

(ARA) - With our nation’s schools facing increasing budget shortages each year, field trips are often one of the first things eliminated from the curriculum, meaning students and teachers alike are missing out on the experiential learning and memorable experiences field trips offer.

Now educators across the United States are turning to an unlikely source for $800,000 in field trip funding - Target. This fall, Target will launch the Target Field Trip Grants Program, distributing more than 800 grants up to $1,000 to education professionals throughout the country, in the hopes of helping teachers enhance student understanding and increase student achievement by bringing learning to life outside of the classroom.

Already educators are taking notice. At a recent educational association annual meeting, where the Target Field Trip Grants Program was officially announced, teachers agreed that field trips are often one of the first elements eliminated from the curriculum when schools are faced with budget shortages. Educators were also in consensus that it was encouraging to see companies such as Target stepping forward to help fill this gap so that they may continue using the valuable experiential learning gained from field trips to enhance students’ classroom studies.

Each week, Target gives more than $2 million to strengthen families and communities across the nation, with a focus on education, the arts, social services and other vital community partnerships. The Target Field Trip Grants Program is an extension of the company’s commitment to educational support for America’s teachers, classrooms and school facilities. Target supports several national programs, each specialized to a particular need, with the overall mission being to provide K-12 teachers nationwide with the best possible resources for educating the children that will be shaping the future of our country.

Applications for the Target Field Trip Grants Program will be available online at Target.com/teachers from Sept. 1, 2006 through Nov. 1, 2006. Recipients will be notified in January 2007. Criteria for the selection of grant recipients will include: the description of the field trip and its objectives, the benefits to students, the tie-in to the school curriculum and number of students who will be impacted, and the proposed use of funds. Funds may be used to cover cost of transportation, entry fees, supplies and equipment and resource materials.

The Target Field Trip Grants Program is open to full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals or classified staff employed by an accredited K-12 public, private or charter school in the U.S., having a 501(c)(3) or 509(a)(1) tax-exempt status. Only one submission per applicant will be accepted. Field trips will take place during the 2007 calendar school year.

Courtesy of ARA Content