INDIANAPOLIS – Students at 57 Indiana schools will experience the outdoors during the 2024-25 school year thanks in part to a grant program that supports field trips to Indiana State Parks and other state park-managed properties.
The Discover the Outdoors Field Trip Grant Program is for all K-12 schools and is administered through the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation (INRF), the supporting nonprofit of the DNR.
Thanks to the ongoing generosity of donors, the individual grant limit for this school year was doubled from the previous school year. Grants of up to $500 are now awarded to fund transportation costs, program fees, and classroom supplies related to the field trips. These donations have also allowed the program to more than double the total dollars distributed.
The program is expected to distribute $24,966 this year, the largest amount in its existence. An estimated 4,809 K-12 students will benefit.
Seven schools in the area were granted money through the funds: Columbus Christian School North Vernon, CSA Fodrea Elementary School and L.C. Schmitt Elementary in Columbus, Whiteland Community High School, Taylorsville Elementary School, and Good Shepherd Christian Academy and South Decatur Elementary in Greensburg.
Since the program started in 2013, almost 300 field trip grants have been awarded, allowing 25,200 students to visit state parks at a reduced cost to schools and students. With this year’s awards, more than $75,000 in overall funding has been distributed so that students can visit an Indiana state park for a guided hike or talk with an interpretive naturalist.
