Target Backs School Field Trips...

This news in recently from the American Association of Museums (AAM)...

If teachers and administrators in your area are struggling to fund visits to your museum, Target Corporation can help. AAM President Ford W. Bell and Target officials recently collaborated to spread the word on the company’s expanded field trip grants program. For the 2008–2009 school year, Target is offering 5,000 field trip grants of up to $800 each—triple the amount offered last year—with no strings attached.

Applications for field trips between February 2009 and the end of the school year will be accepted online through Nov. 1. All educators, teachers and principals wishing to plan a field trip for students are eligible to apply, including previous grant recipients. Applicants must provide brief descriptions (no more than 2,000 words) of the field trip and its benefits, as well as a breakdown of expenses. Funds may be used to cover field trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, resource materials and supplies. Other criteria for selection of grant recipients include the field trip’s tie-in to the school’s curriculum and the number of students who will be involved. Successful applicants will be notified in January 2009.

Established in 2006, Target Field Grants enables educators to take learning outside the classroom. Last spring, the program awarded a total of $1.6 million to education professionals nationwide to fund 1,600 field trips. This year Target expects to award up to $4 million for field trips.

Tell your local school officials about Target Field Grants so that both teachers and museums can take advantage of this opportunity. For more information, visit the Target website.