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The Democratic governor and state Natural and Cultural Resources
Secretary Reid Wilson visited the North Carolina Museum of
Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh to announce the “ Learning
Happens Here Field Trip Fund.” K-12 schools can seek
reimbursements for the cost of students visiting any of more
than 100 locations managed by Wilson's department. That could
include things like entry fees, transportation or meals.
Title I schools — those with high percentages of students from
low-income families — will receive priority preference for the
grants, which will be administered by the PBS North Carolina
television network on behalf of the Department of Natural and
Cultural Resources. A yet-determined amount of the $1 million
also will be set aside for western North Carolina schools
affected by Hurricane Helene 's historic flooding.
Cooper and Wilson, who interacted with some third graders from a
Raleigh school visiting a museum room, recalled the excitement
of going on field trips as students and the lasting memories
they provided.
“These moments can open the doors for kids to explore things
they hadn’t thought about before,” Wilson said. "That could be
the spark that sets that child on a course for the rest of their
life.”
Applications need to be submitted online at least eight weeks
before the planned field trip. The pilot project money comes
from federal American Rescue Plan funds, a spokesperson for the
Department of Natural and Cultural Resources said.
State and local governments must obligate all their American
Rescue Plan funds for specific projects by the end of this year
or else return the rest to the U.S. Treasury.
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