2008 Grant Proposal Details

Academic Adventures & Oregon's 150   Adams Elementary

Total: $2000

Description:  Adams Elementary seeks funds for its field trip program. Field trips at Adams Elementary are used to complement the school’s curriculum. Students will have academic adventures at nearby Lane County locations such as the Hult Center, the Shedd, Mount Pisgah, Whitaker Creek, area farms, Madison Meadows, the University of Oregon, UO Special Collections Library, and elsewhere. This year, in celebration of Oregon’s 150th birthday, field trips will have a special emphasis on Oregon statehood and Oregon’s history, geography, economy (e.g., agricultural products, natural resources), and arts. For example, we plan trips to the UO Library to examine pioneer diaries written by children, a visit to the Oregon Legislature and State Capitol, and excursions to working farms and salmon spawning areas. Adams students also participate in an annual capstone field trip. Depending on the year and grade, these field trips involve excursions to the Oregon Coast and Splash. Academic Adventures are field trips that involve classroom preparation and follow-up. Teachers work purposefully to extend the field trip experience with special classroom activities, particularly journaling and other writing activities, before and after the field trip.

Why is this important?  We seek funds to ensure the stability of our field trip program and guarantee that our students have access to enriching experiences – even adventures -- outside the classroom. Field trips also build our sense of school community by involving parents as chaperones. Known as one of Eugene’s most multicultural, multi-abled, and economically diverse student populations, families at Adams are headed by college students, working parents in service and retail jobs, professionals, educators, artists, and crafts people. The school’s free-and-reduced lunch rate of 63% puts the full cost of field trips beyond the reach of many of our families. Plus, the presence of two magnet programs for children with disabilities and/or learning differences (Life Skills and a Cognitive Regional Learning Center) means that families often have extra costs associated with their child’s care. Adams boasts active parent involvement and an effective parent fundraising program, but with no dedicated school or district funding for field trips or scholarships, the PTA’s ability to meet the scholarship need is strained.

Who will be served?  The entire Adams Elementary school population of more than 200 students will be served plus parents who might not otherwise be able to chaperone because of costs, like admission or bus fees, associated with field trips.

How will this be evaluated?  We consider both the field trip’s academic enrichment value and logistical issues. We know that giving students educational opportunities outside of the classroom is meaningful and expands the student’s awareness of the world. We look for extensions of the classroom curriculum and also indications that the activity builds student confidence in their own academic abilities to forecast, evaluate, and describe non-classroom experiences. We'll consider student discussions and writings to evaluate whether the field trips are effective extensions of the curriculum. Students will write about the field trips in their daily journals, discuss their experiences in class, and have hands-on learning experiences during the field trip. We continuously evaluate whether the locations we select work well and what we can do to enhance the field trip or leverage other opportunities.

Does this build on existing programs?  Adams has an established field trip program that is adjusted to accommodate special opportunities and is organized as an extension of the curriculum – this year with a special focus on Oregon’s sesquicentennial (see www.Oregon150.org). We have a strong library program and special enrichment opportunities that also support the classroom curriculum. By placing the field trip program on stable financial footing, Adams teachers are able to fully implement curriculum plans because teachers know that that we will have adequate funds to meet our scholarship obligations. EEF funding for field trip scholarships also allows the PTA to dedicate more funds for individual classroom contributions and targeted, as-needed enrichment activities that arise throughout the course of the year.

Budget:  EXPENSES: 8 classes of approximately 25 students/class will participate in 3 local field trips/year. The fourth and fifth graders (about 80 students) will also participate in a trip to the Oregon coast and to the Oregon Legislature. Transportation and fees for local field trips - $5 student/trip - $3,000 Oregon Coast fees - $18 student x 100 students and chaperones - $1,800 Salem/State Capitol fees - $8/person x 100 students and chaperones - $800 Transportation for coast and Salem out-of-area trips - $1,500 TOTAL EXPENSES: $7,100 REVENUES: *Parent contributions for local trips - $1,500.00 *Parent contributions for coast and Salem: $2,800. (*These figures are approximate, based on past experience of scholarship needs running) PTA contribution - $500 School support – unknown; Other private donor support - TBD TOTAL REVENUES: $4,800 SCHOLARSHIP NEED: $2,300

Proposal #:  1