INDIANA – Students at 12 Indiana schools will be able to take field trips to Indiana state parks this academic year thanks in part to the Discover the Outdoors field trip grant program, which is administered through the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation (INRF), the supporting non-profit of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Educators in public, private, parochial, or home schools are eligible for the grants, which range from $98 to $250, and fund transportation costs, program fees, and classroom supplies related to preparation or follow-up for the field trips.
A total of $5,479 is scheduled to be given through 28 grants, benefitting an estimated 1,364 K-12 students. Through the current academic year, the program has distributed more than $46,000 in overall funding and helped more than 16,000 students visit an Indiana state park for a guided hike or talk with an interpretive naturalist since the grant program started eight years ago.
No grants were distributed for the 2019-20 school year because most schools were meeting virtually with field trip restrictions. The number of grant applications for 2020-21 was lower than normal.
“Many districts still had some uncertainty regarding field trips for this school year during the timeframe that we accept applications,” said Ginger Murphy, Indiana State Parks deputy director for stewardship. “We know the students who do visit this year will have great outdoor experiences, and we expect the number of applications to increase again next year.”
Indiana has 24 state parks and eight reservoirs eligible for field trip funding. Field trips can now also be scheduled for Deam Lake, Starve Hollow, Interlake, or Redbird state recreation areas since those sites are now managed by the Division of State Parks. Trips must be scheduled and led by an interpretive naturalist or other staff members to be eligible for funding. Field trips to state parks engage students in learning about Indiana’s fish, forest, wildlife, natural habitats, and conservation.
The receiving schools and where the destination of their respective visits are in order of school name, city, grade, student count, and park:
- Anderson Elementary School, Anderson, Kindergarten, 24, Mounds State Park
- Anderson Elementary School, Anderson , 2nd grade, 48, Mounds State Park
- Anderson Intermediate School, Anderson,,5th grade, 56, Mounds State Park
- Anderson Intermediate School, Anderson, 5th grade, 56, Mounds State Park
- Anderson Intermediate School, Anderson, 6th grade, 56, Mounds State Park
- Anderson Intermediate School, Anderson, 5th grade, 56, Mounds State Park
- Anderson Intermediate School, Anderson, 6th grade, 56, Mounds State Park
- Anderson Intermediate School, Anderson, 6th grade, 56, Mounds State Park
- Anderson Intermediate School, Anderson, 6th grade, 56, Mounds State Park
- Bainbridge Elementary, Bainbridge, 3rd grade, 18, Turkey Run State
- East Side Elementary School, Anderson, Kindergarten, 48, Mounds State Park
- Edgewood Elementary, Anderson, Kindergarten, 50, Mounds State Park
- Erskine Elementary School, Anderson, 4th grade, 24, Mounds State Park
- Erskine Elementary School, Anderson, 2nd grade, 48, Mounds State Park
- Erskine Elementary School, Anderson, 1st grade, 48 Mounds State Park
- Erskine Elementary School, Anderson, 1st grade, 48, Mounds State Park
- Faith Christian, Lafayette, 3rd grade, 33, Prophetstown State Park
- Lancaster Central Elementary, Bluffton, Kindergarten, 100, Ouabache State Park
- Rock Creek Community Academy, Sellersburg, Kindergarten, 50, Falls of the Ohio State Park
- Thomas Miller Elementary School, Lafayette, 3rd grade, 75, Prophetstown State Park
- Valley Grove Elementary, Anderson, 1st grade, 48, Mounds State Park
- Valley Grove Elementary, Anderson, 1st grade, 48, Mounds State Park
- Valley Grove Elementary, Anderson, Kindergarten, 48, Mounds State Park
- Valley Grove Elementary, Anderson, Kindergarten, 48, Mounds State Park
- Valley Grove Elementary, Anderson, 2nd grade, 48, Mounds State Park
- Valley Grove Elementary, Anderson, 4th grade, 48, Mounds State Park
- Valley Grove Elementary, Anderson, 4th grade, 48, Mounds State Park
- Woodlawn Christian School Goshen, 5th-6th grades, 22, Potato Creek State Park
To see students benefiting from this grant, see youtu.be/uC4QjhsBLO8.
