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Leader-Telegram - Voice of the People
School field trips bring learning to life
By Angie Stokes

Take a moment and think back to your school days. What are your most memorable learning experiences? Was there a point when history truly came alive? Or when textbook science finally clicked in a real-world way? Chances are that for some of you, the most memorable moments took place not at school, but on a field trip.

Field trips enable teachers to expand children's learning beyond the walls of the classroom into the vast community outside. They provide children with experiences that cannot be duplicated in the school but are nonetheless an integral part of school instruction. Perhaps a field trip can best be described as a living laboratory in which learning is acquired through active, hands-on experience with the rich resources of the local community.

Significant budget constraints forced the Eau Claire school board to cut funding for school-sponsored field trips in May. Students no longer will be able to attend field trips previously covered by district money. These include visits to Beaver Creek Reserve, the Children's Museum of Eau Claire, the Ice Age Trail, the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum and the Chippewa Valley Museum. All of these field trips were designed for maximum educational value and address Wisconsin academic standards.

My 6-year-old will begin first grade in the Eau Claire school district this fall. I am lucky to be able to send my child to a safe school where students consistently score above the state average on standardized tests. When my son's class embarks on a field trip, I feel fortunate to be able to provide the small fee asked of me. Unfortunately, this is not the case for every parent. And without district funding, paying for field trips will be an even bigger challenge this year. That's why a dedicated and enthusiastic group of volunteers is working to ensure all students attending a public school in the Eau Claire district can attend curricular-based field trips. Our group, the Eau Claire United PTA/PTO, feels strongly that field trip experiences not only cement the learning occurring in the classroom but also build positive connections between young people and community members. These experiences represent an investment in the future of our community. Our hope is that people will step forward to financially support our endeavor.

Our group has launched a fundraiser that runs through Sept. 15. The goal is to raise approximately $70,000 to be given to the school district to fund the trips that otherwise would be eliminated this year. We know that members of the Eau Claire community value the education of our children. The strength and success of our local schools is not an accident. One of the key reasons for our consistent success is parent and community involvement. Now, more than ever, we need your support.

Please consider contributing to this effort. Every contribution helps to support a local nonprofit while also giving our children a jump-start on lifelong learning. If you are unable to give financially, consider giving of your time. Volunteer at a local school in your neighborhood this fall, or contact a local nonprofit. Show your support by attending a high school football game on a Friday night or a band or theater performance at one of the schools. It is not by chance that Eau Claire has strong schools and diverse nonprofit groups, both of which enhance our community and make this a great place to live.

Stokes, of Eau Claire, is the mother of a Montessori School first-grader and a member of the Eau Claire United PTA/PTO. To learn more about the fundraising project, visit www.EauClaireUnitedPTA-PTO.blogspot.com.