Field Trip Fund
The Grand Rapids Art Museum’s Field Trip Fund advances equitable learning through accessible art experiences by removing financial barriers and promoting accessibility to the visual arts for Michigan PreK-12 students.
What is the Field Trip Fund?
Through interactive experiences, students will engage in transformative cultural experiences that inspire creativity, critical thinking, constructive dialogue, empathy, and self-expression.
For eligible PreK-12 schools, GRAM’s Field Trip Fund covers student admission and participation fees for school tours and art-making workshops and provides transportation reimbursement to assist with bus expenses. Any school that receives free or reduced lunch support for at least 40% of their student population is eligible to participate in GRAM’s Field Trip Fund program. Eligibility requirements for the 2023 – 2024 school year are based on the 2022 – 2023 Michigan Department of Education School Nutrition Program Data. Groups must pre-register and schedule their reservation with GRAM’s School Experience Manager at least 4 weeks in advance of their desired visit date to be considered for fund support. Field Trip Funds can be accessed for as long as funds are available.
For more information, please contact Emily Jarvi, School Experience Manager, at ejarvi@artmuseumgr.org.
To donate to the Field Trip Fund, please visit our donation page.
Lindsay Moynihan, West Oakview Elementary, Northview Public Schools
“West Oakview Elementary 4th grade students feel so incredibly fortunate that we were able to benefit from the field trip grant program at the GRAM! For many of our students, this was their first ever experience visiting a museum.”
“Students were exposed to a variety of art and culture including the Jim Henson exhibition. Before venturing to the GRAM, students learned about proper museum etiquette and were also introduced to the life and art of Jim Henson. It was so exciting and inspirational to see the actual puppets and art from some of our favorite shows in person.
The hands on puppet making experience was such a success that students begged to finish their creations the next day in art. Not only did they apply their creativity to finishing their puppets, but they also used the worksheets provided to us by the GRAM to inspire mini puppet shows which they performed in front of their peers.
Hands on and in person experiences like this help to enhance the learning of all students. This will be a field trip our students at West will never forget and it was only made possible through the amazing grant program at the GRAM. Our school is considered low income and for many of our students, this may be the only opportunity they have to visit a museum and experience hands-on, real life art.”