Sample Field Trip Funding Request Letter

The Da Vinci Science Center wishes to help all schools receive their funding needed to

enjoy field trips to the Center with transportation. That is why the Center is providing the

following sample letter for educators to use for requesting support.

In order to estimate the necessary amount of funding, educators are encouraged to

check with their school districts for busing costs. Busing for approximately 50 students

within 20 miles of the Da Vinci Science Center is likely to cost about $275 per bus.

Da Vinci Science Center field trip admission is $9.50-$10.50 per student.

Potential funding sources – along with the Da Vinci Science Center's Science Inquiry

Fund – include the following:

• Target Corporation; see http://bit.ly/1JpFkFdfor details

• The Walmart Foundation; see http://bit.ly/1MARfTF for details

• The Kraft Field Trips for All initiative; see http://bit.ly/1MhXEWR for details

• School education foundations

• Community foundations

• The bank or credit union serving that particular school or district

• Local gas stations, mini markets, and stores

• Area companies that will need science, technology, engineering, and

mathematics (STEM) workers in the future

• Parent Teacher associations, groups, and organizations

[IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT SCHOOL OR DISTRICT LETTERHEAD IS USED]

Dear NAME,

I am writing to respectfully request $AMOUNT from your ORGANIZATION/COMPANY to

support NUMBER students in NUMBER grade(s) from NAME school to visit the Da Vinci

Science Center this FALL/SPRING. A Da Vinci Science Center field trip is a great way to bring

science to life for students. At the Center, students can experience standards based, hands-on

science with knowledgeable educators and engaging experiments that cannot be accessed

during the school day due to lack of resources or time. These experiences are essential to

helping students succeed on standardized tests and keeping students engaged in the sciences.

This in turn is essential to creating a skilled science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)

workforce for our region in the future.

Our school has a limited time to teach STEM subjects and limited resources for equipment and

supplies. Our school serves many low income students. DESCRIPTION OF STUDENT BODY

– USING PERCENTAGES OF STUDENTS QUALIFYING FOR FREE/REDUCED PRICE

LUNCHES AND OTHER STATISTICS. These students may never have a chance to visit the

Da Vinci Science Center with their families due to financial or transportation limitations. Your

support will provide free access to a day filled with many unique experiences including a hands-

on, inquiry- based workshop, over 100 hands-on exhibits, and demonstrations that inspire

creativity and increase student knowledge about science – including the Built Like a Mack Truck

exhibit and PPL Electric Utilities ePower House. This trip also is important in promoting local

career awareness, Students can talk to knowledgeable science educators in workshops and on

the exhibit floor, many of whom are professionals in the science, technology, or engineering

field and serve as great role models. This experience is invaluable and will lead to future

participation in STEM subjects.

Thank you for your consideration of our school’s request for funding so our students can

experience science at the Da Vinci Science Center. This positive STEM education experience

will certainly increase student content knowledge, provide awareness of local STEM careers

and companies, and allow students to practice their ability to do science and engineering, and

remove barriers to science education that low income students may experience. Please contact

me with any questions you have about this request at PHONE NUMBER or E-MAIL ADDRESS.

Sincerely yours,

SIGNATURE

TYPED NAME

TITLE

SCHOOL