South Raleigh News

Governor Roy Cooper has announced the allocation of $1 million in funding for public school field trips. The announcement was made alongside North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) Secretary Reid Wilson at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.

The initiative, known as the “Learning Happens Here Field Trip Fund,” aims to provide students from North Carolina public schools with access to educational field trips across more than 100 DNCR locations throughout the state.

Governor Cooper stated, “Hands-on learning through field trips is an important part of children’s education but not all schoolchildren have the opportunity to experience them. This program will help ensure that public school students have the opportunity to take field trips regardless of barriers like cost or location.”

The fund targets K-12 public schools in North Carolina, with a priority for Title I eligible schools. It offers reimbursements for visits to DNCR-managed sites such as state parks, historic sites, museums, aquariums, and zoos. The pilot program is funded by the State of North Carolina and managed by DNCR in partnership with PBS North Carolina.

Secretary Reid Wilson commented on the fund's impact: “DNCR has more than 100 locations across the state where students can engage with science, history, art and nature. Through this fund we will be able to help even more students venture outside the classroom and visit these special places that will captivate their interest and curiosity and also connect them to what it means to live in and love North Carolina.”

In light of Hurricane Helene's impact, a portion of the funds will be allocated specifically for Western North Carolina schools affected by the storm.

DNCR has been promoting lifelong learning through its programs for over 50 years. This year, they launched "Learning Happens Here," an initiative aimed at enhancing educational resources available statewide. The new fund seeks to broaden student access to these resources.

Applications for accessing this funding are now open. Interested parties can find more information at www.dncr.nc.gov/learn/learning-happens-here.