‘Field Trip New Jersey’ Expands to Include Essex County Schools, Nonprofits

The Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) today announced that the Field Trip New Jersey Fund, which it founded in 2016 to provide opportunities for students in under-served communities to connect classroom learning with real-life experiences, is expanding its eligibility criteria to include Essex County K-12 schools and nonprofit organizations starting this summer.

All Essex County public, charter, and nonprofit private pre-K-12 schools with more than 65 percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches, as well as nonprofit organizations serving Essex County that are current grantees of the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, will be eligible to apply for a grant. Grant awards of up to $1,500 per academic year will cover the various costs of field trips. The trips may include visits to arts and culture sites, historic landmarks, nature preserves, and science institutions in New Jersey.

The program expansion to Essex County nonprofit organizations is made possible thanks to a generous grant from the Schumann Fund for New Jersey.

Grant applications for field trips are being accepted on a rolling basis. The application and additional grant guidelines are at https://cfnj.org/fieldtrip/schumann/.

“We are grateful to the Schumann Fund for this critical funding and partnership,” said Lydia Gracey, field trip coordinator at the Community Foundation. “Field trips are once again becoming a critical part of hands-on learning, so we are privileged to expand these educational opportunities to Essex County students.”

To date, the Field Trip New Jersey Fund has made $225,000 in grants supporting 396 field trips across the state. Popular destinations include the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, the Cape May County Zoo, the New Jersey State House, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Duke Farms, the Statue of Liberty National Monument, the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center in Millville, among many other locations.

With questions about Field Trip New Jersey, contact Lydia Gracey at the Community Foundation of New Jersey at (973) 828-2959 or lgracey@cfnj.org.

About the Community Foundation of New Jersey

The Community Foundation of New Jersey creates and scales custom solutions for purpose-driven individuals, families, and businesses. From creative projects that tackle critical societal or policy issues to scholarship funds, corporate philanthropy, legacy funds and donor advised funds, CFNJ manages nearly every kind of giving vehicle and tailors solutions to meet critical needs. CFNJ’s team of specialists understand the unique contours of communities and manage the scope of CFNJ investment and grantmaking capabilities with precision. With $725 million in assets, the Community Foundation grants tens of millions of dollars each year through its more than 1,100 funds. In 2022, CFNJ granted more than $150 million to nonprofits in New Jersey and beyond.

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