July 25, 2016
On July 14th, twenty-three Head Start students from Center For Family Services experienced a culturally and intellectually stimulating field trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art thanks to a grant made possible by the Field Trip New Jersey Fund, a new fund and pilot program designed to support opportunities for students in underserved communities to experience field trips.
During the 90 minute long program “Museum Looks and Picture Books”, staff read a picture book with children and subsequently took them on a tour of the museum’s exhibits that were relevant to the contents of the book. During the program, children also created an art project that connected with the themes of the book and museum tour.
“We’re so grateful for this opportunity made possible by the Community Foundation of New Jersey,” said Head Start Director, Merilee Rutolo. “Through this excursion, students not only had the chance to experience a museum, a place many of them have never visited, but the opportunity to hone their problem solving and critical thinking skills through the creation of their own artwork.”
Field Trip New Jersey is hosted by the Community Foundation of New Jersey, which partnered with the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation to launch the fund.
Additional support was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the New Jersey Historical Commission.
The Field Trip New Jersey fund is open to schools with more than 65 percent of students eligible for free and reduced lunches under the National School Lunch Program. Educators apply for grants of up to $700 to cover transportation costs for field trips to arts and culture sites, historic landmarks, nature preserves, and science institutions in New Jersey, as well as college campuses in the Mid-Atlantic region.
To learn more about Field Trip New Jersey or to donate toward future field trips, please visit www.fieldtripnj.org or email info@fieldtripnj.org.
