Field Trip Funding

CRS list of Science Grants
https://crscience.org/stemgrants/
Updated regularly. It contains information on all kinds of grants for classrooms. The top of the page is a calendar of grants with specific deadlines, but don’t forget to go to the bottom of the page where grants with rolling or continuous deadlines are found. These include museums with discounted entrance fees or transportation funds.

Philanthropic Ventures Excursion Grants and Environmental Education Grants
https://www.venturesfoundation.org/programs/teacher-grants/
Grants of up to $1,000 are available to fund 1‐day classroom excursions; funds can cover the cost of transportation, admission fees and food. Simple one-page application. Funds get used up quickly so apply as early in the school year as possible. Sometimes they get additional funding so it pays to check back often. For Alameda County.

Environmental Volunteers Transportation Fund
https://www.evols.org/transportation-fund/
Up to $500 for bus fees. For schools with FRMP over 70%. (Their application includes and link to see if your school qualifies. Easy application. Check early in the school year as their funds run out quickly.

DonorsChoose.org
http://www.donorschoose.org/
This is a crowd sourcing website for teachers. It is project based. If this is your first project, the field trip can’t cost more than $1200.

Parks Express Transportation Services – East Bay Regional Parks
https://www.ebparks.org/parks/publictransit/parks_express.htm
Discount buses ($120) for field trips to East Bay Regional Parks. Schools must have at least 50% of students in Free or Reduced Lunch Program. 40 passengers minimum. They start making assignments in December for the coming year. Apply ASAP even for programs in fall. Need not have naturalist program pre-arranged.

Yoots – Free BART Tickets for Field Trips
https://yoots.org/free-school-trips-bart/
(2023-24 program currently on pause) Yoots has received funding to provide a sizable (but limited) amount of free BART tickets for school field trips. Apply early as supplies may run out.

BART Student Tickets – Group Sales
http://www.bart.gov/tickets/sales/groupsales
Tickets will be issued in amount of fare required. See www.bart.gov and select the Quick Planner to find fare for identified travel. Students’ tickets will be priced at 37.5% of the posted fare, while adult chaperones pay full price. Must be done at least 21 working days in advance.

AC Transit Youth Tickets
There are not any discounts for groups.  There are free transit cards available for Middle and High School Students. You can get these cards for your students at https://www.alamedactc.org/programs-projects/studentpass

It may help you out to fill out the “group movement” form to let AC Transit know that you are coming and let them plan for you.  The title on the form is “Customer Feedback” which is kind of misleading, but it is the correct form. http://www.actransit.org/customer/customer-feedback/?groupmovement

 

Updated Spring 2024