Field Trip Grant
Dear Frontier Culture Museum,
Thank you for paying for the charter bus and the pizza and everything. We are all pleased that you did that for us. I loved it. We all had so much fun. Oh and by the way, the goats where a lot of fun. I wish I could of got a picture of the goat dancing with the tree. But all I have to say is thank you.
Sincerely,
Kendra
Dear Frontier Culture Museum
Thank you for paying the charter bus and thank you for letting us go in the igbo houses. Thak you letting us pat the goats and thak you for let us do the eggs and the rocks and the beans. And thak you for showing the people how had to get chans on the people how work long ago you are the nice people ever. Thak you for the pizza and the tickets.
Sincerely,
Jose
Thanks you for letting us come to the museum. It was fun and educating. I liked using the two man saw but it was rough at first. Eventually, we got it down adn we did much better. I loved the free pizza lunch and admission.
Guidelines
Overview
The American Frontier Culture Foundation raises funds each year to provide assistance for school field trips to the Frontier Culture Museum. The funds are privately donated, and are not part of any state or federal entitlement programs. Funding decisions are made by staff at the Museum, on a first come, first serve basis. Areas that the Foundation can fund are transportation, admission, lunch and gift bags. The goal, set by the fund donor, is to reach as many school children in the state of Virginia as possible.
A field trip to the Frontier Culture Museum is designed to complement the learning that happens inside the classroom. All of the programs incorporate the Virginia Standards of Learning. Please visit http://www.frontiermuseum.org/education.html to see the educational programs offered at the Museum. Please visit http://www.frontiermuseum.org/fieldtripguide.html for preparatory information that may assist you in applying for your grant.
Grant funds are not intended to replace the normal responsibility of the schools, students and parents in paying for field trips, and are not guaranteed for the same schools each year.
What We Fund
Transportation
Transportation funds can be awarded to schools whose distance is more than 50 miles from the Museum. If school buses are used, reimbursement will be made directly to the school district transportation office after they submit an invoice to the Foundation. Normal reimbursement is $1.50 per mile. It is the responsibility of the teacher to make this information available to the school district’s transportation office, and inform them they must submit an invoice to the Foundation for payment.
If a charter bus is awarded, the Foundation will pay the charter bus company directly. It is the teacher’s responsibility to submit quotes from bus companies to the Foundation and then reserve the bus after communication with Museum staff. The Foundation will contact the bus company to arrange payment. IF TRANSPORTATION FUNDS ARE AWARDED, THE SCHOOL MAY NOT VISIT OTHER SITES USING THE TRANSPORTATION PAID FOR BY THE FOUNDATION. If this occurs, the teacher is responsible for reimbursing the Foundation the transportation funds awarded.
Once teachers have been notified of a grant award, they must contact the Museum’s reservationist to book their trip.
Admission
Admission for the students and teachers can be paid by the grant. Any additional chaperones accompanying the class will be required to pay their admission in the Visitor Center when they arrive for the trip.
Lunch
Lunch consisting of pizza, chips, soda/water can be provided for students and teachers through the grant if requested. When the teacher makes the field trip reservation he/she will inform the reservationist how many students/teachers will be eating the pizza lunch. Chaperones and bus drivers are welcome to eat as well for a charge of $3.50 each payable in the Visitor Center. The teacher is required to inform the reservationist the number of paying drivers and chaperones. When the teacher makes the field trip reservation he/she will inform the reservationist how many students/teachers will be eating pizza lunch.
Additional Information and Funding Options
Shopping
Teachers are encouraged to allow their students to visit the Museum Store to shop. The sales from the store provide funding the support the Museum and the field trip program. Items are available beginning at twenty cents and are appropriate items for students to purchase. If the teacher prepares the students in advance, the experience can be a good lesson in life skills (what is the proper way to purchase items at a store), estimating, decision making, counting change and learning about sales tax. If there is an extreme hardship case where a student does not have money to shop and others in the class do, the teacher should inform the store manager so arrangements can be made for these students to choose an item for which the Foundation will pay.
Gift Bags
For students too young to shop, or in cases where the school district does not allow shopping, the teacher can order gift bags when making the trip reservation. The gift bags are provided with grant funds but only available if the above conditions are met.
The Grant Decision
Based on the grant money available, grant awards are based on the following criteria:
- How the field trip meets specific needs of the class
- The clarity of the goals and objectives for a field trip to the Museum
The Grant Award
Once your application has been submitted, a member of the American Frontier Culture Foundation staff will contact you to provide the funding decision. Should your application be approved, the Foundation will pay directly the bus transportation by an invoice submitted from the bus company, museum admission, lunch if you’ve selected that option and gift bags if your school qualifies. Logistics specific to your trip will be determined at the time of your award.