State Representative Blaine Wilhour reported that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has announced that Centralia Junior High is on the list to receive a grant for $1,755 for students to visit the Touch of Nature Environmental Center in the Shawnee National Forest in Makanda, Illinois.
“These kinds of field trips for young people are good to help them appreciate the outdoors and learn about our natural resources,” said Rep. Blaine Wilhour. “This is an example of how private donations can help with the teaching of our children without growing the size of government or taxing our citizens more.”
More
than 6,500 students will visit Illinois state parks, natural areas, museums and
other natural resources sites this year to learn about nature and conservation
thanks to grant funding through the Illinois
Biodiversity Field Trip Grant Program. One hundred field trips at a cost of $88,815.13 are awarded for
2019. The grants were made possible by private donations from the Independence
Tube Corporation of Bedford Park, the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation of
Skokie and the D. F. and M. T. Grohne Family Foundation of Wilmington. The
donations and funding for the grants are coordinated by the Illinois Conservation
Foundation (ICF).
The Field Trip Grant Program has now distributed more than $1,190,000 and more
than 110,000 students have been provided with the opportunity to take part in a
field trip since the program’s inception in 2001. Grant recipients are located
throughout Illinois and represent students from pre-kindergarten through high
school.
The competitive grant program allows Illinois teachers to apply for funds to
take students on a field trip to study Illinois’ biodiversity. Learning
activities must directly relate to the school’s curriculum. The annual
application deadline is January 31. Funding administered by the ICF covers
expenses such as the costs of transportation and substitute teachers. For more
information, contact the IDNR Division of Education at
dnr.teachkids@illinois.gov or 217-524-4126. Visit www.ilcf.org for additional
information. The 2020 application form will be available soon at https://www.dnr.illinois.gov.
“I encourage other schools and home school groups to apply for these grants that can be a good compliment to what kids learn from books and in the classroom,” added Rep. Wilhour.