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Funding
Available for Darke County Parks Field Trips
Through the generous support of the Harry D. Stephens Memorial Fund,
the Friends of Darke County Parks have created a repository of field
trip funding for the schools and teachers who need it. Many times
teachers would like to schedule field trips to the park but are unable
to find the funding for transportation costs. This program hopes to
alleviate that problem, so more students can benefit from the wide
variety of natural and cultural history programs offered by the
naturalists at Darke County Parks.
Interested teachers need only set up a potential field trip date with
the naturalist staff, complete an application, and submit it to the
Friends of the Darke County Parks prior to their regularly scheduled
meeting (first Tuesday of the month) at least a month before the
potential field trip date. The application includes a proposed budget
for the field trip including transportation cost, material fees, any
other costs associated with the trip, and a description of the school’s
financial need. The Friends will review the applications at their
monthly meetings, and the teachers awarded funding will then be
notified. In order to be eligible for future funding, after the funds
have been distributed and the field trip taken, the Friends ask
teachers to complete a follow up evaluation about their field trip and
the use of funding. The evaluation form asks about the actual budget,
how the funding directly benefited the students, and how the field trip
content will be incorporated into the regular classroom lesson plans,
among other things.
Applications can be found and submitted at the Nature Center at 4267
St. Rt. 502 just west of Greenville or by emailing
info@darkecountyparks.org.
The park district serves not only Darke County schools but also schools
from the surrounding area. The entire staff strives to provide the best
possible experience to the constituents who have placed their trust in
the education of our stewards of tomorrow, and the Friends of Darke
County Parks endeavors to support that objective in any way possible.
Questions about the funding application or the Friends’ mission can be
directed to the Nature Center at (937) 548-0165.
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