Engaging youth in outdoor education is an opportunity for them to explore our natural world. Moving the classroom outside helps create experiences for students where they learn to appreciate, respect and enjoy nature by developing a relationship with the environment. By learning about sustainable conservation practices, they will see how a healthy environment benefits them and start to learn how to protect and preserve our valuable natural resources.
The Discover the Outdoors Field Trip Grant program, offered in partnership with Indiana State Parks, encourages public, private, parochial and home school educators to engage students on field trips to an Indiana state park or reservoir.
Educators work directly with interpreters at properties to develop a curriculum that benefits each student. The interpretive naturalists lead students through adventures in nature centers, caves, and forests, and around rivers, lakes and other unique natural and cultural areas throughout Indiana.
Since the grant program's inception in 2013, a total of 135 grants have been awarded, providing the opportunity for more than 10,000 students to visit state parks at less cost to the schools and students.
Indiana has 24 state parks and eight state-managed lakes eligible for field trip funding that will engage students in learning about Indiana's fish, forest, wildlife, natural habitats, and conservation.