Students Around the Country Visit Gettysburg Battlefield Through Field Trip Grant From American Battlefield Trust

(Gettysburg, Pa.) — Throughout this past school year, nearly 3,000 students from New Hampshire to Texas experienced the power of place on the Gettysburg Battlefield through the American Battlefield Trust’s History Field Trip Grant Program. The Trust committed more than $50,000 to making these 40-plus field trips happen, including 18 originating from Title I schools, an increase of more than a dozen trips to the battlefield compared to the previous school year. Since 2014, more than 60,000 K-12 learners have been able to travel to sites in their own communities and far afield with the support of these competitively awarded microgrants.  

“From the American Revolution to the Civil War, Pennsylvania is truly the cradle of American history,” said Rep. John Joyce, M.D. “Students from across the nation come to Gettysburg to experience American history up close, and I thank the American Battlefield Trust’s History Field Trip Grant Program for making these trips possible for the more than 7,000 students who utilize this program every year.”

Through these field trips, students were able to experience the Battle of Gettysburg in ways completely irreplicable in a classroom or textbook. From scaling Little Round Top, to recreating the march of Picket’s Charge, the Gettysburg Battlefield's unique landscape can only be truly understood and appreciated by stepping foot on that hallowed ground.  

“I teach in a rural area, and many of my students do not have the means to travel to places like Gettysburg,” remarked Sarah Pile, a teacher at Somerset Area Junior High School in Pennsylvania. “This trip allowed me to teach the students about a place that is not far from where they live and played a critical role in the history of our nation.”

“Experiential learning, made even stronger through the power of place, can inspire a deep love of the past in those lucky enough to take part,” said Trust President David N. Duncan. “We are proud to be able to help the youth of our great nation with this program that fosters a budding interest in the history.”

The Trust’s History Field Trip Grant Program allows K-12 educators to apply for funding to offset the cost of day-trip field trips to battlefields, museums and other historic sites related to the Civil War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, in alignment with the Trust’s mission. Grants range from $250 to $3,000, toward transportation costs, admission fees and reasonable fees for presenters and guides. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis but must be received one month before the trip. Full details and application materials are available at www.battlefields.org/fieldtrips.

Schools that benefitted from the Trust’s program to help finance their field trip to Gettysburg include: Allen Middle School (Camp Hill, Pa), Anchor Christian Academy (Lancaster, Pa.), Archbishop Hoban High School (Akron, Ohio), Arkport Central School (Arkport, N.Y.), Barrackville Elementary Middle School (Barrackville, W.Va.), Butler Intermediate High School (Butler, Pa.), Canton Area Junior-Senior High School (Canton, Pa.), Chapelgate Christian Academy (Marriottsville, Md.), Chartiers-Houston High School (Houston, Pa.), CLASS Academy (Baden, Pa.), ELCO Intermediate School (Mysterstown, Pa.), Garden Spot High School (Holland, Pa.), Good Shepherd Wesleyan Church & Christian Life (Jackson, Ohio), Hamilton Elementary Middle School (Baltimore, Md.), Hampton Roads NRTOC (Norfolk, Va.), Harding Middle School (Lakewood, Ohio), Indiana Area School District (Indiana, Pa.), Kenderton Elementary School (Philadelphia, Pa.), Knoch Middle School (Saxonburg, Pa.), Leasure Elementary (Newark, Del.), Lehman Early College (Canton, Ohio), Muhlenberg School District (Laureldale, Pa.), New Holland Elementary (Holland, Pa.), North East Middle School (North East, Pa.), Patrick Henry Middle School (Hamler, Ohio), Pottsville Area High Schools (Pottsville, Pa.), Punxsutawney Christian School (Punxsutawney, Pa.), Reid Elementary School (Middletown, Pa.), Sacred Heart School (Washington, D.C.), Schulter Public School (Schulter, Okla.), Selinsgrove Area Intermediate (Selinsgrove, Pa.), Seton LaSalle Catholic High (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Soaring Heights School (Mt. Wolf, Pa.), Somerset Area Junior High School (Somerset, Pa.), South Meadow School (Peterborough, N.H.), St. John Regional Catholic School (Frederick, Md.), St. Mary’s Catholic School (Taylor, Texas), St. Patrick School (Carlisle, Pa.), St. Rose Catholic School (Lima, Ohio), Town of Webb UFSD (Old Forge, N.Y.), Upper Adams School District (Biglerville, Pa.), Westfield Academy and Central School (Westfield, N.Y.)

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 60,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War across 160 sites in 25 states. Learn more at www.battlefields.org. 

###