Community Giving: Education: Teachers and Classrooms
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.
The good news is that Target is providing field trip grants to educators. As part of its commitment to providing educational resources for America's teachers and classrooms, Target launched the Target Field Trip Grants Program in 2006. By allowing educators to choose their own field trip, the grants help them bring learning to life and enhance classroom studies for their students. In the program's first year, Target awarded nearly $800,000 in grants to 800 educators nationwide, benefiting more than 110,000 students.
In 2007, Target has doubled the number of grants to 1,600, equaling $1.6 million in funds. Applications for the 2007/2008 Target Field Trip Grants Program are now available at Target.com/teachers and will be open for application through Nov. 1, 2007. Recipients will be notified in January 2008.
According to a new survey, conducted by Target, of more than 300 teachers - all part of the Target Teaching Circle panel - 60 percent of teachers said their field trip budgets have decreased, with only three percent reporting that their school's budget for field trips has increased over the last one-to-three years.* In fact, 75 percent of teachers believe field trips are facing extinction and many agree that field trip opportunities are not even a possibility for their students without outside funding.
Schools are in need of field trip funding, so we hope you will consider covering this topic because:
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What will be lost without school field trips?
Top field trip benefits cited by teachers in the survey include: improved student behavior (83 percent); creation of special memories and bonding experiences (56 percent); broader student understanding of current issues in today's society (42 percent); and increased student understanding of, and interest in, a subject (40 percent).
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This valuable educational tool might soon be eliminated.
Where will the leaders of tomorrow come from if we do not inspire our youth with these learning expeditions that give children a way to discover history, science, and the performing arts in a whole new way? Perhaps a great journalist of tomorrow will be inspired to pursue that field following a field trip to a news organization.
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Teachers have much to say about educational field trips.
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"From a teacher's point of view, the grant is a wonderful opportunity for children to take part in an activity that might not have been possible without the grant. I have been an educator for 30 years. This grant award has been one of the highlights in my career." - JoAnn Wargo, New Jersey teacher
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"My students and I would never have had this opportunity if it wasn't for the Target Field Trip Grants program. The background knowledge the students gained will never be taken away from them." - Lesley Fry, Florida teacher
You can hear about the benefits of field trips firsthand by interviewing a 2006 grant recipient in your area. Feel free to contact me or visit
Target.com/teachers for a list of all Target grant recipients.
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