SPRINGFIELD – More than 350 students in grades fourth through eighth will visit Illinois state historic sites this school year thanks to grant funding through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) State Historic Sites Field Trip Grant program.
More than $4,376 in donated funds were awarded for 12 field trip grants. Grantees represent six Illinois counties.
“This program allows students to visit state historic sites throughout the state to see first-hand what they’ve been learning about in the classroom and to visit a place where notable historic events happened,” said IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie. “Students need the opportunity to experience Illinois’ historical resources in person. We’re pleased to be able to enhance classroom learning with these grants.”
The grantees include:
Cook County
- Frances of Rome School, $500: Eighth-grade trip to Apple River Fort State Historic Site in Elizabeth
- Hamlin Upper Grade Center, $500: Seventh- and eighth-grade trip to the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site and War Memorials at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield
Douglas County
- Villa Grove School District CUSD 302, $500: Eighth-grade trip to the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site and War Memorials at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield
DuPage County
- Evergreen Elementary School, $500: Fourth-grade trip to the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site and War Memorials at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield
Madison County
- Coolidge Junior High School, $500: Eighth-grade trip to Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in Hartford
Peoria County
- Peoria Academy, $500: Fifth- through eighth-grade trip to David Davis Mansion State Historic Site in Bloomington
Union County
- Jonesboro Elementary School, $500: Seventh- and eighth-grade trip to Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site in Springfield
- Jonesboro Elementary School, $500: Eighth-grade trip to the Lincoln Tomb State Historic Site and War Memorials at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield
- Jonesboro Elementary School, $376: Fourth-grade trip to Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in Hartford
The entire $4,376 awarded for the 2024-2025 schoolyear was made possible by private donations to IDNR state historic sites.
The IDNR State Historic Sites Field Trip Grant program was initiated in the 2020-2021 school year. The competitive program allows Illinois teachers to apply for funds to take students on a field trip to visit and learn at select Illinois state historic sites. Learning activities must directly relate to the school’s curriculum. The annual application deadline is Sept. 30. Funding covers bus transportation.
For more information about the IDNR State Historic Sites Field Trip Grant program, contact the IDNR Division of Education at dnr.teachkids@illinois.gov or 217-524-4126. The Illinois Conservation Foundation gladly accepts donations for the IDNR State Historic Sites Field Trip Grant program.
The 2025-2026 school year application form will be available online in the summer of 2025.