On Wednesday, Nov. 13, the office of North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced $1 million in new funding for public school field trips with North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) Secretary Reid Wilson at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. The “Learning Happens Here Field Trip Fund” will provide North Carolina public school students with access to enriching field trips to the over 100 DNCR locations across the state.

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

The Learning Happens Here Field Trip Fund is available to any K-12 public school in North Carolina, with priority given to Title I eligible schools. The fund will offer reimbursements to public schools that visit sites managed by DNCR, including state parks, historic sites, museums, aquariums and the zoo. This initial $1 million pilot is made possible by funding from the State of North Carolina and is managed by DNCR in partnership with PBS North Carolina.

“DNCR has more than 100 locations across the state where students can engage with science, history, art and nature,” said Secretary Reid Wilson in a press release. “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 response to Hurricane Helene, a portion of the funds will be reserved for Western North Carolina schools impacted by the storm to ensure they receive equal opportunities for field trip funding.

For over 50 years, DNCR has inspired a lifelong love of learning through programs and experiences at its sites across the state. This year the department launched a new initiative, “Learning Happens Here,” to highlight DNCR’s extensive educational resources so that teachers, parents, and students throughout the state can use them in the classroom and at home. The Learning Happens Here Field Trip Fund will expand students’ access to these enriching and exciting resources.

Applications for the fund are now open. Learn more and apply at: www.dncr.nc.gov/learn/learning-happens-here