The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor recently received an $8,000 grant from the National Park Foundation that will enable 1,472 students from 27 schools in eight school districts across New York State to participate in educational field trips along the Erie Canal this fall.
“We have tremendous canal historic sites from Buffalo to Albany, but the cost of bringing students to them has become prohibitive for many districts. This grant removes that barrier so that students can experience firsthand the innovation and impact of the Erie Canal,” said Beth Sciumeca, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
In addition to Ticket To Ride funding, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor secured an additional $5,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to enhance the field trip program. These funds are being used to enlist the assistance of the Albany Institute of History & Art, which is developing a web-based curriculum guide and conducting teacher training and post-visit evaluations.
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is one of 35 national parks and heritage areas to receive a grant from the National Park Foundation, the national charitable partner of America’s National Parks. With support from Disney, the Ticket To Ride program provides financial resources for transportation and in-park educational programming that make field trips to national parks and heritage areas possible for schools across the country.
Looking for funding? This competitive grant program makes awards ranging from $2,000 to $7,000 and is aimed at funding projects that serve to advance the goals and strategies of the Erie Canalway Preservation and Management Plan.
Proposals related to historic preservation, conservation, recreation, interpretation, tourism, and community development will be considered. Eligible organizations and requested projects must be based within Corridor boundaries and include nonprofits, municipalities, and federally recognized Native American tribes.
The application deadline is Friday, October 12, 2012. A full grant description and application can be found online: www.eriecanalway.org/get-involved_grants-fund.htm. Awards will be announced in January 2013.
The program is administered by the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, in partnership with the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission.
For more information contact: Andy Kitzmann, Project Manager, 518-237-7000, ext. 201.
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