Field trip grant program benefits more than 4,900 children
Students at 67 Indiana schools this academic year will experience the outdoors thanks in part to a grant program that supports field trips to Indiana State Parks.
The Discover the Outdoors Field Trip Grant Program is for public, private, parochial, or home-school educators and is administered through the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation (INRF), the supporting non-profit of the DNR.
The grants, ranging from $72-$200, fund transportation costs, program fees, and classroom supplies related to preparation or follow-up for the field trips.
An estimated 4,921 K-12 students will benefit from the grant program in 2019-20. The program expects to distribute $11,624 through 72 grants.
This is the seventh academic year that the grant program has been in effect. Through the current academic year, the program has distributed more than $41,000 in overall funding and helped more than 15,000 students visit an Indiana state park for a guided hike or talk with an interpretive naturalist.
To see students benefiting from this grant, visit youtu.be/uC4QjhsBLO8.
The fund was established in memory of Tom Huck, a long-time DNR employee who was an ardent supporter of outdoor experiences for children in parks. Financial assistance also comes periodically from the Indiana Master Naturalist Advisory Council, and its contribution this year allowed the fund to double the number of grants offered, according to Jody Kress, executive director of INRF. DNR staff also contribute to the fund through the State Employees Community Campaign.
“We appreciate the generosity of those who contribute to Indiana's youth,” Kress said. “We hope to see this program grow so we can educate more students across the state about our natural and cultural legacy.”
To donate, visit IndianaNRF.org. Indiana has 24 state parks and eight reservoirs eligible for field trip funding. Field trips to state parks engage students in learning about Indiana's fish, forest, wildlife, natural habitats and conservation. The receiving schools and where they will visit are:
School Name |
City |
Grade |
# of students |
Property |
Ascension Lutheran School |
Fort Wayne |
3rd grade |
20 |
Chain O'Lakes State Park |
Adventure Club Homeschool Group |
W. Harrison |
Multi. |
20 |
Brookville or Clifty Falls |
Arrows of Grace Co-Op |
Liberty |
K-12 |
22 |
Whitewater/Brookville |
Bainbridge Elementary |
Bainbridge |
2nd Grade |
60 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
Blanche E. Fuqua Elementary |
Terre Haute |
1st grade |
60 |
Lieber SRA |
Bloomington High School South |
Bloomington |
Grades 9-12 |
29 |
Brown County State Park |
Blue River Valley Elementary |
New Castle |
5th grade |
64 |
Mounds State Park |
Bradie Shrum Elementary |
Salem |
4th grade |
143 |
Falls of the Ohio State Park |
Bradie Shrum Elementary |
Salem |
5th grade |
150 |
Spring Mill State Park |
Brentwood Elementary School |
Plainfield |
4th grade |
75 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
Brown County High School |
Nashville |
Grades 7-12 |
15 |
Brown County State Park |
Brown County junior High School |
Nashville |
7th grade |
140 |
Brown County State Park |
Burris Laboratory School |
Muncie |
2nd Grade |
22 |
Mounds State Park |
Carlin Park Elementary |
Angola |
Kindergarten |
50 |
Pokagon State Park |
Central Middle School |
Columbus |
8th |
125 |
Brown County State Park |
Christel House Academy South |
Indianapolis |
3rd grade |
28 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
Christel House Academy West |
Indianapolis |
7th grade |
55 |
Turkey Run State Park |
Cloverdale Elementary School |
Cloverdale |
2nd Grade |
85 |
Lieber SRA |
Delphi Community Middle School |
Delphi |
7th grade |
110 |
Turkey Run State Park |
East Noble Middle School |
Kendallville |
6-8th grade |
30 |
Chain O'Lakes State Park and Indiana Dunes State Park |
Edgewood Elementary School |
Michigan City |
Kindergarten |
56 |
Indiana Dunes State Park |
Faith Christian |
Lafayette |
3rd grade |
40 |
Turkey Run State Park and Prophetstown State Park |
Farmersville Elementary School |
Mt. Vernon |
4th and 5th grade |
75 |
Harmonie State Park |
Franklin County Middle School |
Brookville |
6th grade |
110 |
Brookville- Mounds SRA |
Frontier Jr./Sr. High School |
Chalmers |
7th and 8th grade |
100 |
Prophetstown State Park |
Gosport Elementary |
Gosport |
All grades |
185 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
Grace Christian Academy |
Scottsburg |
Grades 3-5 |
30 |
Spring Mill State Park* |
Greencastle High School |
Greencastle |
Grades 6-12 |
30 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
Greencastle Middle School |
Greencastle |
7th grade |
150 |
Turkey Run State Park |
Hamilton Heights Elementary School |
Arcadia |
4th grade |
180 |
Mounds State Park |
Haverhill Elementary School |
Fort Wayne |
K |
80 |
Chain O'Lakes State Park |
Highland Park Elementary |
Bloomington |
1st Grade |
45 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
Highland Park Elementary |
Bloomington |
1st Grade |
45 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
Horace Mann Elementary |
Huntington |
5th grade |
70 |
Salamonie |
Kennedy Academy |
South Bend |
5th grade |
135 |
Potato Creek State Park |
L.C. Schmitt Elementary |
Columbus |
5th grade |
100 |
Brown County State Park |
Lancaster Central Elementary School |
Bluffton |
Kindergarten |
100 |
Ouabache State Park |
Liberty Elementary School |
Liberty |
2nd Grade |
54 |
Whitewater Memorial State Park |
Liberty Elementary School |
Hobart |
4th grade |
90 |
Indiana Dunes State Park |
Little Turtle Elementary |
Columbia City |
2nd Grade |
80 |
Chain O'Lakes State Park |
Metro North Elementary |
Wabash |
Kindergarten |
70 |
Salamonie |
New Britton Elementary |
Fishers |
2nd Grade |
28 |
Mounds State Park |
North Daviess Elementary |
Elnora |
3rd grade |
95 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
North Harrison Elementary School |
Ramsey |
3rd grade |
90 |
Patoka Lake |
North Judson-San Pierre Elementary |
North Judson |
3rd grade |
87 |
Indiana Dunes State Park |
Northridge Middle School |
Crawfordsville |
6th grade |
143 |
Turkey Run State Park |
Orleans Elementary School |
Orleans |
5th grade |
24 |
Falls of the Ohio State Park |
Orleans Elementary School |
Orleans |
5th grade |
24 |
Falls of the Ohio State Park |
Orleans Elementary School |
Orleans |
5th grade |
24 |
Falls of the Ohio State Park |
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School |
New Albany |
2nd Grade |
26 |
Falls of the Ohio State Park |
Pioneer Elementary |
Royal Center |
4th grade |
75 |
Prophetstown State Park |
Prairie View Elementary |
Goshen |
4th |
75 |
Chain O'Lakes State Park |
Richmond High School |
Richmond |
Grades 10-12 |
45 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
Rock Creek Community Academy |
Sellersburg |
Kindergarten |
44 |
Falls of the Ohio State Park |
Saint Mary Catholic Community School |
Crown Point |
7th grade |
56 |
Indiana Dunes State Park |
Sarah Scott Middle School |
Terre Haute |
6th grade |
170 |
Shakamak State Park |
Shakamak Jr.-Sr. High School |
Jasonville |
Multi. |
15 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
Shawswick Elementary School |
Bedford |
6th-8th grade |
25 |
Spring Mill State Park |
Shoals Elementary School |
Shoals |
1st Grade |
60 |
Spring Mill State Park |
Shortridge High School |
Indianapolis |
11th grade |
80 |
Indiana Dunes State Park |
South Decatur Elementary |
Greensburg |
2nd Grade |
65 |
Brown County State Park |
South Decatur Elementary |
Greensburg |
4th grade |
70 |
Versailles State Park |
Southern Wells Elementary |
Poneto |
6th grade |
70 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
Southwood High School |
Wabash |
AP Science |
20 |
Chain O'Lakes State Park |
Spencer Elementary |
Spencer |
5th grade |
100 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
St. Mary's School |
Aurora |
7th-8th grade |
19 |
Versailles State Park |
Thomas Miller Elementary School |
Lafayette |
3rd grade |
75 |
Prophetstown State Park |
Turkey Run Elementary |
Marshall |
3rd grade |
40 |
Turkey Run State Park |
Unionville Elementary School |
Unionville |
5th grade |
36 |
McCormick's Creek State Park |
Western Wayne Elementary School |
Cambridge City |
2nd Grade |
65 |
Whitewater Memorial State Park |
West Central Elementary School |
Francesville |
2nd Grade |
40 |
Tippecanoe State Park |
Woodland Christian School |
Goshen |
Grades 3-4 |
22 |
Pokagon State Park |
To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.
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Media contact: Jody Kress, executive director, Indiana Natural Resources Foundation, 317-234-5447,jkress@dnr.IN.gov.