funding school field trips

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Scholarships & Grants

There are many organizations that offer student scholarships for educational travel based upon need and merit. School Tours of America is always looking for available scholarships or grants and will share them here along with our suggestions and other resources on how to best acquire these funds

Jan Wright Memorial Scholarship

The staff of School Tours of America have established this scholarship in memory of our beloved friend & educational tour pioneer. This scholarship of up to $500 is awarded to a deserving student based on financial need, merit & must be nominated by a Group Leader.

Scholarships for Students

A variety of non-profit organizations such as the Student Youth Tour Association ( www.syta.org ) have scholarships for deserving students.

• The Program awards funds to youth who, for various reasons are unable to afford the cost of their group's educational travel. visit website
• The National Youth Day Out program provides a one-day travel experience for deserving classes around the United States and Canada. visit website
• This program recognizes deserving high school students who have demonstrated through their action, intention, or circumstance the desire to expand their awareness, creating a dramatic life change. visit website

Corporate Grants & Grant Programs

A number of national companies have established grants for travel and education. These grants are generally awarded to a group and thus require the Tour Director or Teacher to apply. Please review each program for guidelines and requirements.

• Verizon Foundation The Verizon Foundation offers teachers grants to promote literacy and fund educational causes. visit website
• Target Field Trip Grant As part of the Target commitment to education, our one-of-a-kind, innovative Target Field Trip Grants program will award as many as 5,000 educators' grants of up to $800 each to fund a student field trip. visit website
• Grant Wrangler:  Grant Wrangler is a free online listing service of grants and awards for K-12 teachers.  New fundraising opportunities are posted frequently, and educators can sign up for a bi-weekly newsletter announcing the latest grants and awards.  Find out more about Grant Wrangler
• Cisco Grant Program
• Department of Education
• The Foundation Center

Tips for Grant Apps. & Grant Search Engines

We have compiled a list of helpful articles on how to best apply for grant funds as well as search engines to assist in finding new grants. Additionally, please contact our Fundraising & Grant Specialist to learn other valuable funding tips.

• Writing a Successful Grant Proposal
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Field Trip Grants

Dive into the wealth of resources available to help make your school field trip dreams a reality with this list of field trip grants.

Field trips can be influential and inspirational, offering students transformational academic and cultural opportunities. However, like many extracurricular events, they can come with a big price tag. In an effort to seek creative funding for these trips, here are some resources around field trip grants to get you started. Remember to carefully read the requirements and guidelines for each grant to ensure that you are eligible and that your field trip fits within the parameters of the grant.

Foundational Grants for Schools

Foundations across the country offer support for educators, and new opportunities continue to arise year after year. There are also a wide variety of more localized grants specific to states or even cities that can help fund field trips, transportation, and project supplies. Check out these offerings below for some of the current field trip grants offered on a national scale.

• The NEA Foundation Student Success Grants The NEA Foundation wants to support educators engaging students in project-based and deeper learning to support the development of skills and dispositions contributing to success and fulfillment in a changing world. Grants between $1,500 and $5,000 are available for a period of 12 months from the date of the award.
• The Beacon and Verizon: Teacher Technology Grant These are field trip grants that will fund projects, allowing students to engage with educational content through the interactive learning experiences of Virtual Reality (VR) headsets. Two awards, each $1,000, will be made to provide VR sets for classrooms. Since 2020, virtual field trips continue to thrive and are enhanced with VR equipment.
• Voya Unsung Heroes The Unsung Heroes program has helped thousands of K-12 educators fund innovative classroom and out-of-classroom projects such as field trips. To date, nearly $5 million in grant money has been awarded. 
• NASA Title 1 School Discount Program Title 1 Under this program, schools may request funding that subsidizes the price of a field trip ticket. The program provides for field trips to be priced at $5.95 per person, a savings of up to 76 percent off full-price admission. More details are available on their website.
• Civil Air Patrol This includes two grant opportunities and resources for several different programs to bolster K-12 experiences related to flight and aerospace through the partnering Air Force Auxiliary. 
• The Road Scholarship Program Offered by the SYTA Youth Foundation, this grant helps to cover travel costs related to field trips and student learning. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel is being more heavily scrutinized to make sure methods are safe. Visit the website for information and to apply. 
• Sol Hirsch NWAF Education Fund Grants for K-12 Teachers/Educators This grant is intended for teachers, program directors, school district supervisors, and other individuals proposing to improve the education of K-12 students in meteorology through projects or field trip opportunities.
• State Farm® Community Grants State Farm offers yearly grants that help educators who are committed to helping build safer, stronger, and better-educated communities. These grants can be put toward field trips and other out-of-classroom activities.
• Toshiba America Foundation For those in the fields of science and math, Toshiba America grants help to support teacher-designed projects across a variety of grade levels.
• Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation This grant program is ideal for educators looking to enhance their environmental curriculum, providing support for integrated field activities, classroom teaching and problem solving.
• The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program On an annual basis, USDA awards competitive Farm to School grants that support planning, developing and implementing farm to school programs. USDA’s Farm to School grants are an important way to help state, regional, and local organizations as they initiate, expand and institutionalize farm to school efforts.
• The Every Kid Outdoors Small Grants Program Selected schools and non-profits will receive up to $5,000 toward helping connect elementary school-aged youth to public parks, lands, and waters. This grant supports the Every Kid Outdoors initiative, with the goal to ensure every child in the U.S. has the opportunity to visit public lands and waters by the time they are 11 years old, thereby establishing a lifelong connection to enjoy and protect our American outdoor heritage.

Local and Community Grants for Schools

Many states and local corporations offer field trip funding and grants for local schools. Check with local businesses, non-profits, and community organizations to see if there are any grants available. This can also include places of interest such as museums, zoos, and cultural institutions. You can also branch out and check with associations that are relevant to your subject area, such as the National Science Teachers Association or the National Council for the Social Studies . In addition, be sure to check with your school’s PTA or similar organizations, as they often have fundraising efforts and may be able to provide field trip grants for students. 

General and Corporate Grants for Field Trips

There are many websites that list grants available for field trips. One example is Grants.gov , which is a comprehensive database of federal grants. You can also try websites such as GrantsAlert.com , GetEdFunding.com , GrantWatch.com , DonorsChoor.org , or AdoptAClassroom.org , which will allow you to create a fundraising campaign for your classroom to put toward field trips. You can also search for grants on Google by using terms such as “field trip grants for students” or “education grants for field trips.” You can also look for corporate grants, as many large corporations such as Costco , Walmart , and Target provide grants to support education, including field trips.

Another more general funding source for field trips is to look for admission discounts or admission-specific programs for student groups. This may cover a portion or all the admission price and is a great way to help offset costs to attractions of interest. 

National Free Days for Field Trips

Be sure to check out special offers for student groups as well as any “free days” happening near you. For local national parks, monuments, or museums, take advantage of National Parks Free Days to explore the great outdoors with students. And under the Every Kid Outdoors program, all fourth graders get a pass for free admission into national parks for the year. This includes family members of the student.

There are countless field trip grants and assistance programs available for educators, ranging from broad in scope to highly specialized. If you plan well in advance and spend a bit of time researching the opportunities that are available, it can reap great rewards for both you and your students. There’s still plenty of field trip ideas to read about in the Student Travel Planning Guide, along with information for faculty to help plan student travel.

By Courtney Lind

Top photo by Andrea Piaquadio

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5 Field Trip Grants for School Trips

Photo: target.com

Field trip grants make educational travel accessible. Several foundations recognize the importance school trips through field trip grants. Please note that Scholastica Travel is not directly affiliated with these grant programs.

Target Field Trip Grants: “Some of the best learning opportunities happen outside the classroom. We’re bringing students once-in-a-lifetime learning experiences through field trips they’ll never forget.” Target’s field trip grant program provides grants for field trips that align with a teachers curriculum. Target stores award 5,000 grants to K-12 schools nationwide that are valued up to $700 each grant cycle.  Education professionals who are at least 18 years old and employed by an accredited K-12 public, private or charter school in the United States that maintains a 501(c)(3) or 509(a)(1) tax-exempt status are eligible to apply. Educators, teachers, principals, or classified staff of these institutions must be willing to plan and execute a field trip that will provide a demonstrable learning experience for students. Apply Now.

Credit: corporate.voya.com

Voya Unsung Heroes : For over 15 years, ING has been funding inspired educators through their Unsung Heroes Program. Each year, 100 educators are selected to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative class projects. Three of those are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000. Applicants must be employed by an accredited K-12 public or private school located in the United States and be full-time educators, teachers, principals,  or classified staff with effective projects that improve student learning. Apply Now.

SYTA Youth Foundation Road Scholarship : “The SYTA Youth Foundation established the Road Scholarship program in 2002 to award funds to youth who, for various reasons, are unable to afford the cost of their group’s travel. Based on the belief that travel is essential to a complete education, it is the SYTA Youth Foundation’s goal to make a positive difference, through travel, in the young lives of our global citizens.” SYTA The number of scholarships awarded depends upon the number of applications received in a given period, the cost of specific trips, and the general level of need in a given applicant pool. The average Road Scholarship granted is $750.00. No more than $1,000.00 will be awarded to a single student. Apply Now.

Image: arts.ri.gov

Big Yellow School Bus : There are many Big Yellow School Bus programs in states across the country. Big Yellow School Bus provides $200 grants to help schools meet the transportation costs of educational field trips to non-profit cultural institutions and activities in the arts, sciences, and humanities across Massachusetts. Any K-12 school in Massachusetts is eligible to apply for a $200 grant to be used during the school year. Apply Now.

Kohl’s Cares Field Trip Program : Kohl’s Department Stores provided $750,000 in funding to eligible schools throughout the metro-Milwaukee area to help cover the cost of field trips during the 2013/2014 school year. The Kohl’s Cares Field Trip Grants will allow local schools to take advantage of educational opportunities outside the classroom without the extra cost.

 Are you interested in learning more about running a school trip? Complete this quick request to get started.

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Next post ap us history trip to gettysburg, philadelphia, and new york, one comment.

I’m going to be assigning my 11th grade honors US History class “In the Heart of the Sea” as their second marking period reading assignment. Being mainly 1st and 2nd generation immigrants, I thought a trip to Mystic Seaport at the end of the first marking period would greatly enhance their reading comprehension as they delve into the book. That said, how to pay for such a great experience?

Thank you in advance for your consideration and assistance. I will be excitedly awaiting your reply!!

Ed Ryder RFK High School Queens, NY

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Target Field Trip Grants

Please note, this lesson plan was created by FieldTripDirectory.com as a general guide and is not specific to any particular venue listed on our site.

Target Field Trip Grants bring students once-in-a-lifetime learning experiences through field trips they’ll never forget. The program has  made it possible for millions of students to go on a field trip.  

Target stores award field trip grants to K-12 schools nationwide. Education professionals employed by an accredited K-12 public, private or charter school in the United States that maintains a tax-exempt status are eligible to apply. Applicants must be willing to plan and execute a field trip that will provide a demonstrable learning experience for students.  

SUPPORTS CLASSROOM LEARNING IN: Art, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies.  

CONTACT INFO  

Address: N/A  

Website: corporate.target.com  

Grade Levels Served: Elementary School, Middle School, High School    

Amount Awarded: $700  

Deadline for Application: October 1st  

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Scholarship and Grant Opportunities for Student Travel

Student trips are exciting opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom. Funding a student trip, however, may be daunting. Don’t let the cost of a trip overwhelm you—or your students and their families. Organizations and companies that believe in the power of travel to enhance education offer scholarships and grants to help cut costs. Consider these opportunities, for individual students and for classrooms.

Ripley Hunter “World is a Classroom” Essay Contest Students who write an essay describing what they learned and how they were affected by travel could earn a $1,000 scholarship from the Student & Youth Travel Association Youth Foundation (SYF). The Ripley Hunter “World is a Classroom” Essay Contest awards students who use their creativity to compose an article or speech that illustrates a student travel experience.

Road Scholarship The SYF Road Scholarship awards funds to youth who, for various reasons, are unable to afford the cost of student group trips. Scholarships are awarded to eligible students or groups of three or more for education or performance-related travel with their class or youth group, and are based on the applicant’s circumstances and need as documented in an application form.

Silver Lining Program Through the Silver Lining Program , SYF grants an all-expenses-paid trip to approximately 35 students and youth, who are selected from the SYTA Annual Conference host city to travel to another part of the world.

Target Field Trip Grants Target stores award Target Field Trip Grants to K-12 schools nationwide, to help fund learning outside the classroom. Each grant is valued at up to $700.

The Verizon Foundation The Verizon Foundation offers education grants supporting projects that promote STEM, including trips that incorporate STEM activities and opportunities available in destinations.

Written by Hemisphere Travel.

The History Field Trip Grant Program

We help k-12 educators fund field trips to battlefields and associated historic sites..

The American Battlefield Trust strongly believes that battlefields are outdoor classrooms — truly unique locations for education, commemoration, and contemplation. The American Battlefield Trust's History Field Trip Grant Program provides funding and assistance to K-12 teachers, who are planning field trips to Civil War, War of 1812, or Revolutionary War battlefields or related historic sites .

Apply Today!

History Field Trip Grant Program FAQ

Teachers: Scroll down to learn more.

More than 45,000 students and teachers served!

See all of the exciting sites our History Field Trip Grant Program has sent classrooms to around the country.

How It Works:

• Apply for funding by filling out a History Field Trip Grant Program Application Form prior to your field trip. (If you have any questions, be sure to check out our FAQ page .)
• The American Battlefield Trust will review your application and respond to your field trip proposal.
• Go on the field trip!  Keep your receipts and take lots of photos while on the field trip! When you come back, fill out a Field Trip Reimbursement Form. Email these materials to the American Battlefield Trust. Your reimbursement will arrive shortly thereafter.

Please Note: All reimbursement checks will be made payable to the school or school district, and will not be made payable to individuals, including teachers, teachers aides, parents, or guardians.

Apply to the History Field Trip Grant Program Today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Rules & Guidelines:

• The History Field Trip Grant Program is designed to bring K-12 classrooms to Civil War, Revolutionary War, and War of 1812 battlefields, museums, and related historic sites. The History Field Trip Grant Program is designed to maximize the impact of quality history education in and out of the classroom. We have found that our model functions most efficiently for classrooms with fifteen (15) or more students.
• The following items can be covered by the History Field Trip Grant Program: transportation, admission fees, and reasonable presenter/guide fees.
• The following items will NOT be covered by the History Field Trip Grant Program: non-Civil War, Revolutionary War, or War of 1812-related trips, luxury options, meals, overnight lodging, and souvenir purchases.
• With our current funding and number of applications, roughly half of the applications are approved. Approved trips can receive funding up to $3,000 .
• The History Field Trip Grant Program is designed to help offset field trip costs for school districts, it is not designed to fully fund a field trip.   
• The History Field Trip Grant Program will only fund a field trip for one class, per school district, per school year. 
• Classrooms that received a grant in the 2022-2023 school year may not be eligible for a grant in the 2023-2024 school year. 
• You must apply for field trip funding at least one month before your trip. 
• Only applications from current/active K-12 educators or administrators will be accepted. 
• Only one application per school district per year may be submitted.
• All trips must be pre-approved by the American Battlefield Trust to receive funding. 
• Funding may be revoked by the American Battlefield Trust at any time for the following reason(s): post-approval trip date change, post-approval destination change(s), number of participants change, not providing receipts in a timely and efficient manner, falsified receipts, no trip receipts, excessive guide fees, class/teacher not fulfilling their required photo, press release, and thank you note requirements. 
• The History Field Trip Grant Program program requires you to submit at least seven (7) photos from your trip, a submission of a completed press release to your local newspaper (template will be provided), at least five (5) thank you notes from your students, and also requires the completion of an online exit survey by the applicant. Field trips will not be funded without such a commitment.  
• All payments will be dispersed after the completion of your field trip, and the educator's submission of all of the above requirements (FTF form, press release, photos, etc.), to our office, in good order. 
• All payments will be dispersed to the school or school district within 28 business days of submission to the American Battlefield Trust. 
• All checks will be made payable to the school or school district. In no case will payments be made to an individual educator, parent, or administrator. 
• Check out our Frequently Asked Questions  for more information.  

Our Decision-Making Process

Given that demand for History Field Trip Grant Program grants far outpaces our available resources, we are historically able to offer grants to only half of applicants. Thus, although decisions are made on a rolling basis, we evaluate applications using the following criteria to maximize the program's impact for approvals and funding is impacted by the following criteria and others: 

• School's financial needs. 
• School's geographic location.
• The number of students and chaperones participating in said field trip. 
• The thoroughness of the application packet.
• The number of prior field trips the American Battlefield Trust has funded for your school. Classrooms that received a grant in the 2022-2023 school year may not be eligible for a grant in the 2023-2024 school year. 
• The frequency of other approved field trips to a specific battlefield, museum, and other historic site destinations. 
• The certitude of teacher's plans. 
• Demonstrable positive impact on your students.
• Battlefield-centric experiences.
• Field trip destination(s).
• Planned activities while on your field trip.  
• Availability of History Field Trip Grant Program funds. 
• Check out our Frequently Asked Questions  for more information. 
• Email us [email protected] . 

Apply Now for Funding!

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Schools: Apply for Funding

This is an application for a Trip Foundation Grant, which currently provides up to $500 for field trips for Title 1 public high schools in the New York metropolitan area (where at least 40% of students receive free or reduced lunch). 

As part of the verification process, please click the purple icon to the left and complete the fields in the form.

Applications for financial assistance must be received by The Trip Foundation at least three weeks before the school trip is scheduled. Distribution of the funds is at the discretion of The Trip Foundation and will be awarded to the school (by check), not to an employee of the organization. 

The Trip Foundation requires copies of receipts, invoices, purchase orders or reservations for transportation and/or ticketing services associated with the excursion for which the Foundation is funding. The Trip Foundation asks grant recipients to send photos and videos of their excursions along with media release forms signed by the parents/guardians of students featured in said media. The Foundation may use those images for marketing purposes. 

Click the Google Forms image to the left to apply. Look for reCAPTCHA verification after you submit. 

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Reagan Leadership Center - Field Trip Scholarships

Is your class signed up for a Reagan Leadership Center simulation experience ? If you are a Title 1 school and your class needs financial support, apply for a scholarship! Scholarships are limited and we give them out on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

FIELD TRIP SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Reagan Leadership Center - BUS SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

Due to decreased funds for bus transportation in many districts, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute grants an allotted amount each year in bus scholarships to be able to participate in the on-site Reagan Leadership Center simulation experiences . If you are truly a school in need and would like the opportunity to obtain needed funds, please carefully read, complete, and submit a school bus scholarship application.

BUS SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Southwinds Transportation

Southwinds Transportation is an approved vendor through The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, and special rates are available for school groups participating in an on-site Reagan Leadership Center simulation experience .

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Field Trips

When funding classroom field trips, funds should be paid directly to the school district and include a request that they be deposited into the school district general fund for the unit’s school and earmarked for the payment of buses and/or admission fees. PTA members should not assume responsibility for transporting students, as PTA’s liability insurance does not cover transportation in personal vehicles. PTA insurance also does not cover bus transportation. PTA may pay for other costs of field trips directly if the school district is unable to accommodate the donation.

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• Nature Center
• NATURE PRESCHOOL

School Field Trips

Attention teachers we are currently scheduling field trip programs at the environmental nature center and enc tucker wildlife sanctuary for the 2024-25 school year book now to assure your spot next school year, as our current school year calendar is very nearly full..

Field trips can be transformative experiences for students: Having the chance to get outside of the classroom, learn from passionate educators, and encounter new places and ideas can broaden the educational horizons for young learners.

The ENC presents field trip programs to preschool – 12th grade classes throughout the school year. The curricula for each program supports the Next Generation Science Standards for each grade level. Our unique grade-specific programs enable students to return year after year to build on previous learning. Students develop a coherent and scientifically-based view of the world around them as they engage in practices to build, deepen, and apply their knowledge. These core ideas build on each other, and on what they’re learning in their classrooms. We are currently scheduling field trip programs for the 2022-23 school year at the Environmental Nature Center.

Call (949) 645-8489 or email Mindy to schedule a program!

Field Trips at the ENC (Newport Beach)

Field trips at tucker (modjeska canyon), nature changes.

Children ages 3 to 5 learn that everything in nature changes. As they hike through the Center they learn about the life cycle of frogs and touch a real, live toad. They learn about the life cycle of butterflies and visit the butterfly house (seasonal). Children learn that snakes shed their skin to grow, examine snakeskin with a magnifying lens, and get to meet a real, live snake! They learn that mammals have fur to keep them warm when it’s cold, and gently touch the fur of several local animals. Along the trail children enjoy story time under the dappled shade of oak trees. $8/student. 10min/60max. 1hr

Ecosystem Investigators

Students will observe, analyze, and interpret patterns between what plants, animals, and humans need to survive. As they hike through our trails they will survey our meadow area to determine different types of food items animals eat in nature, build a model to demonstrate how animals and humans can change the environment, touch, smell, and taste different natural resource items, and enact how they can help reduce the impact humans have on the local environment. NGSS alignment: K-Ls1-1: LS1.C, K-ESS2-2: ESS2.E, ESS3.C, K-ESS3-1: ESS3.A, K-ESS3-3:ESS3.C, EST1.B. 1.25 hours, $9/student.Minimum 10/maximum 120.

Nature Detectives

Oh no! There’s a mystery at Tucker and our Naturalists need your students’ help! Students will examine clues, such as tracks, and meet a few of our ambassador animals to help solve a mystery. Length: 1 hour and 15 minutes

NGSS alignment: K-Ls1-1: LS1.C, K-ESS2-2: ESS2.E, ESS3.C, K-ESS3-1: ESS3.A, K-ESS3-3:ESS3.C, EST1.B. 1.25 hours, $9/student.Minimum 10/maximum 100.

Creature Features

On a hike through the Center, students participate in hands-on activities to learn how seeds are dispersed and grow into adult plants.   Along the trail, they observe the skulls of various animals to determine adaptations of how an animal detects sound and how adaptations of animals influence human problem solving. Students dress up for an animal “fashion show” to learn that animals have external features that help them thrive in different kinds of places. They visit a toad to talk about how the young look different from adults and must go through metamorphosis. Standards: 1-LS1-1, LS1.A, LS1.D, 1-LS3-1, LS3.A, LS3.B. $9/student. 10min/120max. 1.5hrs

Animal Habitats

Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary is home to so many different native insects and animals! For this program, students explore Tucker by mapping out all the places that animals could make homes, find food, and survive while meeting a few animal ambassadors along the way. Length: 1.5 hours

Standards: 1-LS1-1, LS1.A, LS1.D, 1-LS3-1, LS3.A, LS3.B. $9/student. 10min/100max. 1.5 hrs

Eco-Observers

On a hike through the Center, students map out landmarks, as well as where water has changed the shape of the land. In a hands-on experiment students discover that some landforms are created quickly and others develop over a time too long for a human to observe. They play a fun game to discover that most plants depend on animals for pollination and to move seeds around. They discover the importance of biodiversity and learn that there are many different kinds of living things in an area, and they exist in different places. Standards: 2-LS2-2, LS2.A, 2-LS4-1, LS4.D, 2-ESS1-1, ESS1.C, 2-ESS2-1, ESS2.A, 2-ESS2-2, ESS2.B. $10.50/student. 20min/120max. 2hrs

The Wonders of Plants

The “green blur” is when plants are seen as one mass instead of as the individuals that make up an ecosystem. In this program, students will learn how to look past the “green blur” to explore what makes plants unique. Students will discover the life cycle of a plant, test out how different seeds disperse, discuss why different plants grow in different areas, and observe pollinators! Length: 2 hours

Standards: 2-LS2-2, LS2.A, 2-LS4-1, LS4.D, 2-ESS1-1, ESS1.C, 2-ESS2-1, ESS2.A, 2-ESS2-2, ESS2.B. $10.50/student. 20min/100max. 2 hrs

Tongva Trail

3rd Grade Tongva Trail. Students travel back in time to learn about the tools, trade, and customs of the Tongva (Gabrielino) and Acjachemen (Juaneño) people of Orange County. Along the trail students see, touch, and smell the plants used centuries ago by Native Americans. They make string out of plants, use “rabbit sticks” to “hunt,” perform music using authentic Tongva instruments, make “money” using pump drills, and play authentic Native American games.  2 hours, $10.50/student, minimum 20/ maximum 120. (Standards: 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.4)

Animal Abilities

Students will participate in activities that help them understand that animals have unique characteristics and life cycles. These unique abilities help them interact with and survive in their specific environment. Standards: 3-LS1-1, LS1.B, 3-LS2-1, LS2.D, 3-LS3-2, LS3.B, 3LS4-3, LS4.C, 3LS4-4, LS2.C. $10.50/student. 20min/120max. 2hrs

3rd Grade Tongva Trail. Students travel back in time to learn about the tools, trade, and customs of the Tongva (Gabrielino) and Acjachemen (Juaneño) people of Orange County. Along the trail students see, touch, and smell the plants used centuries ago by Native Americans. They make string out of plants, use “rabbit sticks” to “hunt,” perform music using authentic Tongva instruments, make “money” using pump drills, and play authentic Native American games.  2 hours, $10.50/student, minimum 20/ maximum 100. (Standards: 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.4)

Adaptation Investigation

Biology is all about investigating and sometimes getting dirty. Students search for invertebrates in the soil or creek and hypothesize what adaptations help them survive in their habitats. Students also investigate plant adaptations through observations, experimentation, and nature journaling. Length: 3 hours

3 hours, $15/student, minimum 20/ maximum 100. (Standards: 3.1.1, 3.1.2, 3.2.1, 3.2.2, 3.2.4)

Native American Adventure

4th Grade Native American Adventure. Along the trail, students experience the technologies and lifestyles of indigenous people from throughout California. Using a mortar and pestle, the students grind acorns and “boil water” to leach them. They explore hunting methods and tools, practice making “fire” using fire drills, practice weaving baskets and mats. Students become archeologists, and dig for artifacts in the ENC’s midden. During a visit to the ENC’s green building, students enter a life-size Tongva dwelling and listen to a native California legend.  2 hours, $10.50/student, minimum 20/ maximum 120.  (Standards: 4.1.5, 4.2.1, 4.2.3, 4.2.5)

Natureology

Students explore science careers while participating in hands-on activities and experiments. They become botanists to study plant adaptations and wildlife biologists to study the adaptations of animals. As geologists they differentiate between igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Students act as entomologists to examine the differences and similarities of preserved butterflies, moths, and beetles. As microbiologists they observe decomposing materials under a microscope to see the work of beneficial microorganisms. Students visit the ENC’s green building, to see how the staff recycles organic materials in our Composting Learning Lab! Standards: 4-LS1-1, LS1.A, 4-ESS1-1, ESS1.C, 4-ESS3-2, ESS3.B. $10.50/student. 20min/120max. 2hrs

4th Grade Native American Adventure. Along the trail, students experience the technologies and lifestyles of indigenous people from throughout California. Using a mortar and pestle, the students grind acorns and “boil water” to leach them. They explore hunting methods and tools, practice making “fire” using fire drills, practice weaving baskets and mats. Students become archeologists, and dig for artifacts in the ENC’s midden. During a visit to the ENC’s green building, students enter a life-size Tongva dwelling and listen to a native California legend.  2 hours, $10.50/student, minimum 20/ maximum 100.  (Standards: 4.1.5, 4.2.1, 4.2.3, 4.2.5)

Sensory Explorations (Structure and Function)

How do we experience the world around us? How does a plant or an insect? In this program students perform a dissection on a cow’s eye to learn how the structure of eyes relate to the function of seeing. Students also hike around Tucker to make observations on how different organisms interpret and interact with the world around them using their senses! Length: 3 hours

$15/student, minimum 20/ maximum 100.  (Standards: 4.1.5, 4.2.1, 4.2.3, 4.2.5)

Ecosystem Ed-venture

Students will perform water quality tests between two aquatic ecosystems. From those ecosystems, they will take water samples and look at them under a microscope. Along the trail, students learn about photosynthesis and transpiration. Students discuss the water cycle and water distribution, and play a game to learn about ways that water is polluted and cleaned. Standards: 5-PS3-1, PS3.D, 5-LS1-1, LS1.C, 5-LS2-1, LS2.A, LS2.B, 5-ESS2-2, ESS2.C. $12/student. 20min/120max. 2.5hrs

Everything is Connected

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”- John Muir. This idea is the essence of the academic field of ecology. Students will hike in the wilderness exploring our partner site, the Modjeska Wilderness Preserve, discovering how everything in nature is interconnected through abiotic testing, explorations, and nature journaling. Length: 3 hours

Standards: 5-PS3-1, PS3.D, 5-LS1-1, LS1.C, 5-LS2-1, LS2.A, LS2.B, 5-ESS2-2, ESS2.C. $15/student. 20min/100max. 3 hrs

Special Groups

Sensory journey (special needs).

Children & adults of all ages & abilities can join us for a Sensory Journey.  As we explore our Nature Center, we journey through our native habitats and provide opportunities to have personal encounters with our Animal Ambassadors:   maybe a toad, salamander, snake, or rabbit.  The journey is designed to invite the use of our senses to experience our native wildlife.  During Springtime, we may also visit our Butterfly House to experience butterflies & native plants up close.  This live animal encounter can be customized to meet the cognitive/physical needs of all participants:  from hiking our trails, to gathering in a quiet place out in our nature center, to having a circle time presentation in one of our classrooms.  Naturalists guide small groups limited to 10 participants & their chaperones, to provide a unique opportunity to engage with nature for all ages & abilities. $8/student. 10min/60max. 1 hr.

“Intro to Birding” (Home School Groups)

Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary was the home of Benjamin and Dorothy Tucker in the early 1930’s. Benjamin Tucker was the inventor of the hummingbird feeder and nectar recipe that is still used today. This class explores the Tuckers’ love of birds by learning about the different characteristics of birds, where they live, and how to be a good bird watcher.

• Grades: Kinder-High School
• Length: 1 hour

“Animal Showcase” (Home School Groups)

California is a biodiversity hot spot with many native plants and animals that can only be found right here in our state. Come explore a few of the native animals that call California home by meeting Tucker’s animal ambassadors. Students will learn about the different animals that live here and what adaptations they have that help them survive.

“Naturalist for a Day” (Home School Groups)

Naturalists are people who continually learn about the world around them. In this in-depth class, students will learn how to be a naturalist and about the ecology of the Santa Ana Mountains by conducting abiotic tests, observing animal adaptations, and going on a chaparral hike.

• Grades: 3 rd – High School
• Length: 2.5 hours
• $12/student

Middle School

Ecosystem examiners.

Students will conduct field research to assess the abiotic factors in two different California plant communities at the ENC. After conducting research, students will then compare physical features of each ecosystem and present their findings to their fellow classmates. With the newly gained information, students will design their own animal that can survive in that environment. Standards: MS-LS2-1, LS2.A, MS-LS2-2, MS-ETS1-2, MS- ETS1-3, ETS1.B. $12/student. 20min/48max. 2hrs

Fire Ecology

High school, nature surveyors.

Students will conduct field research to assess population diversity of plants and animals in two different ecosystems in the Nature Center. They will then organize their data collected to analyze biodiversity of each ecosystem. Standards: HS-LS2-2, LS2.C, HS-LS2-6, LS2.C, HS-LS2-7, LS2.C. $12/student. 20min/48max. 2.5hrs

Frequently Asked Questions:

But what about COVID-19?

Students and adults are NOT required to wear masks indoors or outdoors while visiting the ENC.  Our field trips only take place indoors in the event of heavy rain or smoke.

Do you offer any discounts for schools?

There is a 10% Discount for booking a program to occur in September. We also offer scholarships for Title I Schools to attend field trips at the ENC Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary. Please also check out our Teacher Funding Resources page for grant opportunities that may offset the cost of your field trip.

Can we eat our lunch or snack at the ENC?

We do not allow schools to bring food on-site.  This is partly due to the fact that an abundance of crumbs on our grounds is not good for our local wildlife.  The other reason is that the ENC is committed to diverting 95% or more of its waste from the landfill. Please review our Zero Waste Policy prior to visiting the Center.  We recommend you visit Bob Henry Park across the street before or after your field trip – it’s a great place for a picnic!

What is your cancellation policy?

If you need to cancel your program for any reason, please email [email protected] so that we have it in writing.  We will respond via email that we received your cancellation.  If you do not receive a response to your email, please call (949) 645-8489 and speak with Mindy or Lori.  If cancellations occur at least two weeks before the program, no fees apply.  If cancellations occur within two weeks of the scheduled program, the minimum fee for the scheduled program will be charged.  Fees do not apply if cancellations occur due to inclement weather.

Do you require a deposit?

As deposit is required in order to secure a date on our programs calendar.  The deposit amount will be equivalent to the minimum fee* for the program and will be credited towards the final cost of the program.  This deposit is refundable in the case of the ENC needing to cancel the program due to unforeseen circumstances.  If a school cancels their field trip within two weeks of their scheduled date, the deposit will be used as a penalty fee and a new deposit will be required to reschedule the program.    If a school cancels their field trip with at least two weeks’ notice, the original deposit can be applied towards a rescheduled date.

*Minimum fees are:

Science Education Grants

Here are some places you can find funds to put your science teaching plans and projects into action., grants with specific dates will be displayed in the calendar at the top. scroll down to find lists of grants that are available on an ongoing basis., science education grants with specfic deadlines.

Use the legend & filter bar below or toggle the "list" button below to the right to find the best workshop for you.

• Individual Teacher = Green
• Institutional =  Blue

Science Education Grants with Rolling or Continuous Deadlines

Search for Keywords like "media literacy" "garden" or "Berkeley" 

Community Resources for Science 1611 San Pablo Avenue, Suite 10 B Berkeley, CA 94702

Phone: (510) 527-5212 Fax: (510) 527-5216 Email: [email protected] EIN: 94-3262587

Privacy Statement Join Our Team

The mission of CRS is to empower teachers and STEM professionals serving schools in historically marginalized communities to activate TK-8 students’ curiosity about the world, foster critical thinking, and inspire children to imagine future career pathways. We envision a community of educators, scientists, families and partners working together to build school cultures that equip all children to explore the world around them and build the skills needed to become innovators, problem solvers, environmental stewards, life-long learners and leaders. CRS leads a dynamic network, fostering relationships and collaborations that leverage expertise and resources to transform science teaching and learning toward greater equity, opportunity, and success for all students.

Our goal is simple: help teachers give students more opportunities to “do science” – to ask questions, test ideas, get their hands on real science activities. We need to inspire the next generation of thinkers, makers, problem solvers, and leaders!

The Hechinger Report

Covering Innovation & Inequality in Education

Are field trips a good way to spend school district funds? Kids say ‘yes’

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• Proof Points

VALLEJO, CALIF. — Taking 175 sixth-graders on two forms of transportation, then leading them on a one mile walk through San Francisco to a downtown science museum is no small task. But it’s one teacher Linda Holt may be doing far more regularly in the coming years. That’s because her school district, in Vallejo, Calif., made the decision last summer to allocate more money to field trips over the next several school years.

The decision comes as a result of California’s new school funding rules, which eliminated many of the traditional earmarks on state funding and handed the privilege, and the challenge, of allocating funds to the districts. Known as the “Local Control Funding Formula,” the new rules require that district leaders make funding decisions only after asking for input from teachers, parents and students.

Vallejo Superintendent Ramona Bishop took that directive very seriously for her 15,500-student district. In addition to collecting surveys from a quarter of the student body, which is about a third black, a third Latino and 18 percent Filipino, she set up small-group meetings at the middle and high schools.

“They really were articulate,” Bishop said of the students she met with. “I think I was underestimating my students. I hate to say that as a superintendent.”

“More disadvantaged students have less opportunities to be exposed to cultural activities so they really need the school to do it for them.”

The idea to spend more money on field trips — students also asked for new textbooks, yummier lunches and more afterschool activities — came from students at the district’s alternative high school.

“It was all about, ‘take us places where you take your kids, Dr. Bishop,’” she said. Students listed museums, college campuses and military bases as examples of where they might want to go.

Jake Howland, 17, attends Vallejo’s alternative John W. Finney High School. He said school officials usually don’t ask what students think “because they don’t want to hear about the problems. But if your school’s not all the way it should be, there are problems that you could make clear,” he said.

Though Jake was at last year’s meeting with Bishop, he didn’t remember field trips coming up. Neither did Tiffany Dotson, 17, who was at last year’s meeting as well. Tiffany said she’d only been on one field trip — to the California Hall of Sciences in San Francisco — during her years in Vallejo’s public schools. But she recalled it vividly.

“Probably it would have helped me,” stay out of trouble to go on more field trips, Tiffany said. “I’m a hands-on learner.”

Related: California’s new school funding system stumbles into its first year

Whether they remembered suggesting it or not, the students’ field trip idea now appears on page 29 of the 41-page plan that outlines how the Vallejo City Unified School District will spend its money for this school year through the 2016-17 school year. Common Core-aligned materials, art supplies, science supplies, library improvements, and several staff positions are among the other new items in the district’s $124 million budget. Field trips in grades 4 to 12 claimed $120,000 of the budget this school year. By 2016-17, there will be $360,000 available to grades K to 12, enough for every child in the district to attend at least one field trip.

“They don’t want to hear about the problems. But if your school’s not all the way it should be, there are problems that you could make clear.”

The new money was doled out to schools in September, said Mitch Romao, who oversees the district’s funding plan under the state’s new local control laws. Once the school year starts, it’s mostly up to teachers to decide where to take their students on field trips , Romao said. The district does provide some guidelines: Fourth- and fifth-graders should see colleges or universities, middle school students are meant to learn more about art or science on their trips and high school students should visit places that teach them about their chosen academy’s area of focus.

“As far as I know, every school is using as much of the money as possible,” Romao said. “We’re not quite sure if they’re going to use it all or if they’ll need a couple dollars more.”

As transportation is the most expensive part of any trip, Romao said district officials calculated the field trip budget based on the cost of bus rentals, which he said run around $600 for a day’s excursion

And that’s how, after 15 years of teaching at Franklin Middle School and not once taking a single student on a field trip to the Exploratorium, a science museum in nearby San Francisco, Holt found herself supervising the loading of three buses full of museum-bound 11- and 12-year-olds.

“Just let it be fun,” prayed Ra’ven Powell, 12, as she waited to board the bus to the subway station. Today’s trip would be only her second to a museum, she said, after the time she went to a dinosaur museum with her grandma. Ra’ven was expecting to see “stuff from the 1970s or something.”

On the second leg of the 90-minute journey, a group of boys clinging to a subway pole were similarly unsure of what they would see. Slime, squids, emeralds, fossils, skeletons, rocks and candy all made the hoped-for list.

Some of the confusion was probably due to the infrequency with which these students, 88 percent of whom qualify for free or reduced lunch, go on such trips. According to their teachers, most don’t come from families that can afford to spend much time in museums.

$360,000 — Amount teachers in Vallejo City Unified School District will have to spend on field trips in 2016-17, triple what they have this school year and up from $0 earmarked in the district budget last year.

But some of the confusion was generated by the school. The museum tickets — free to Franklin’s students — had originally been secured for the eighth-graders. When Holt heard a few weeks before the trip that her sixth-graders would be going instead, she was thrilled, but overwhelmed. She went to find the school’s activity director.

“I go ask all the questions,” Holt said. “When you ask all the questions, you get all the jobs.”

But not all the details. No one had told Holt the district money was meant to cover a bus tide all the way into the city. Consequently, Holt reserved buses just to take her students to the subway station and bought subway tickets with money earned from the sixth-grade dance. Between handling all of that and requesting parent chaperones, Holt also erroneously told some of her students that they would be going to the Tech Museum rather than the Exploratorium. They were never going to the Tech Museum, which is in San Jose, but the error meant that several students still didn’t know where they were going on the day of the trip.

Nevertheless, they all seemed happy to be going somewhere .

Field trips, as measured by student visits to museums, fell sharply during the recession. A third of districts nationally cut field trips entirely during the 2010-11 school year, according to an American Association of School Administrators survey .

Schools in California were particularly hard hit by the recession. The state plunged to 50 th in per student spending in 2010-11 , according to Education Week’s rankings. An informal poll of a half dozen California museums found that field trip attendance dropped universally in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, for example, experienced a field trip attendance decline from 137,671 students* in the 2007-08 school year to just 98,176 in 2009-10. Attendance has come back up at most museums, including the Natural History Museum, which had rebounded to 131,292 field trip visitors by the 2013-14 school year. In part, that’s because districts like Vallejo have begun loosening their belts. It’s also because museums like the Exploratorium have increased programs that offer free admission for students from low-income schools, like Franklin.

Amid increased pressures on schools to produce top test scores, Molly Porter, manager of school and teacher programs for the Natural History Museum and the Page Museum, worries many will decide to forgo out-of-school field trips.

“It’s expensive and it does take (time) out of the class day, but it is instructional time and it is valuable,” Porter said. “I hope that we can be seen as a vital component of a well-rounded formal education experience.”

It’s unclear at this point how many other California districts will allocate a portion of the money they receive from the new school funding formula to field trips. For one thing, not all districts will get the same amount of extra money. For another, district needs vary widely. Training on the Common Core State Standards, expanding community engagement efforts and purchasing materials have ranked high on many district plans for how to spend the new money, according to an analysis by the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office . Many district plans are also unclear, overly ambitious or lacking specifics, according to the January 2015 report.

Related: School librarians a rare find in California public schools

Jay P. Greene, a professor in the school of education at the University of Arkansas, is one of only a few academics to have examined the vitality of field trips. He and his colleagues took advantage of the 2011 opening of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, in Arkansas, to conduct a study on the effects of a visit to the museum .

In cooperation with the university, Crystal Bridges staff issued field trip dates to 123 schools that had expressed interest in taking a total of 11,000 students to the museum. Half of the schools made the trip in the fall and the second half traveled in the spring. All students and staff were admitted for free.

Students who attended the fall field trip scored higher than their peers who had not yet made the trip on measures of critical thinking, tolerance and interest in visiting a museum again. Students from low-income backgrounds and those from rural areas benefitted the most, Greene said.

“More disadvantaged students have less opportunity to be exposed to cultural activities so they really need the school to do it for them,” he said. “I suspect that the quality of the experience is incredibly important.”

An ideal trip, the Natural History Museum’s Porter said, would include a preparatory visit by the lead teacher, logistical and academic preparation for students and chaperones, and a clear introduction to the exhibits by museum staff. There should also be clear academic goals for students during the visit, like writing observations of the exhibits in a notebook.

Almost none of this preparation happened as part of the Franklin Middle School trip to the Exploratorium. And because it took so long to get there, students only had an hour and 15 minutes to explore the exhibits, less than half the time they spent traveling to and from the museum.

Upon walking into the vast warehouse that now houses the Exploratorium, students scattered to play with hands-on exhibits that ranged from shooting a basketball while wearing glasses with slanted prisms for lenses to experimenting with shadows in a room lined with light-sensitive vinyl.

Taivon Wilson, one of the students, pushed a button in front of a screen and watched an extreme slow-motion playback of himself waving and clapping. He said he didn’t know how it worked, but he tried moving slowly, then quickly, to see what the camera recorded depending on his speed. Jasmine Capili, 11, and two classmates listened at tubes that were supposed to separate specific sound waves from the rest. Jasmine said she didn’t know what the tubes were supposed to do. Then, to everyone’s delight, a boy started tapping out a song on the various tubes, playing it like a xylophone.

In another part of the museum, Brenda Hernandez, 12, and Mariana Cruz, 11, worked at a table covered in wheels and elastic bands. They were making an elaborate pulley system meant to spin a wheel with an umbrella on it and make the umbrella flare out. They figured out that using tighter bands worked better if they wanted the umbrella to spin fast.

Soon, it was time to go.

Related: Will ‘creative’ and ‘hands on’ summer school foster a love of learning?

A week after the trip, Holt listed nearly every item on Porter’s list, without prompting, as something she would like to do in preparation for her next trip.

“If we could prepare them for the activity so they know what they’re going to see, it would be better,” Holt said. “We didn’t have a lot of info [this year]. I think we could have done a much better job at getting the kids ready.”

“It was all about, ‘take us places where you take your kids, Dr. Bishop.’”

Back on the bus, returning to school, there was a fart-noise making contest in the back. In the front, two boys sat glumly by a teacher in anticipation of getting suspended for jumping the subway turnstiles when they couldn’t get their subway tickets to work. And asked if they’d learned anything, most students shrugged and returned their attention to their smart phones and each other.

It was not abundantly clear that the trip had been a success. Certainly, no one was excitedly explaining how she’d just had an insight into how sound waves work; nor going on about the properties of simple pulleys; nor plotting the invention of an improved slow-motion camera

Then, Greene said specific new knowledge is only one part of what students get out of a field trip. The other part, much harder to measure, is greater cultural awareness and broader horizons.

Jake, the student from the alternative high school, had a similar reason for thinking field trips were important.

“If we were going to go on a field trip they should probably be to places where it’s showing us what’s beyond school,” he said. “Once you’re done in school, there’s still a whole other lane you need to move into and I feel like they need to bring that into people’s vision.”

Though Holt considered her inaugural Exploratorium trip to be an overall success, she said she’s determined that her students will have a much improved field trip experience next year. Thanks to the input of students like Tiffany and Jake, she will have that chance. And so will her students.

This story was written by  The Hechinger Report , a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Read more about California schools.

*Correction: The field trip attendance numbers listed for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County only include students.

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Statue of Lenin

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Mayor Johnson gets no Springfield commitment on extra CPS funding

State lawmakers delivered no commitments to boost Chicago Public Schools funding during Mayor Brandon Johnson's trip to Springfield last week, but they did deliver a bit of a snub. Why it matters: With a nearly $400 million deficit expected next year and teachers union contract talks coming up, most agree CPS needs the additional funding. • Johnson's ask for an additional $1 billion may seem bold but it lines up with the state's own formula for adequate education funding. Between the lines: Last month, Johnson touted his Springfield experience and...

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Politics latest: Court ruling 'blows PM's claims about Rwanda plan out of the water'

Rishi Sunak has warned voters the next five years "will be some of the most dangerous yet", and only the Tories have plans to keep them safe. Meanwhile, the government may have yet another legal battle on its hands over its attempts to tackle illegal migration.

Monday 13 May 2024 23:00, UK

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• Legal setback for Rwanda plan 'blows PM's claims out of water'
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Thanks for following on an extremely busy day in Westminster.

We'll be back from 6am, but until then, here are the headlines:

In a dramatic knife-edge vote, MPs have voted that there should be no hiding place for suspected Commons sex pests.

Former prime minister Theresa May led a small group of eight Conservatives voting with Opposition MPs to defy the Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt.

To the fury of many Opposition MPs, Ms Mordaunt wanted MPs accused of serious sex or violent offences to be barred from parliament only when they’re charged.

It was officially a free vote. But the vast bulk of MPs voting to delay a ban until a charge were Conservatives, including several Cabinet ministers.

That was brave, so close to a general election. Surely those MPs who voted against a ban upon arrest will be attacked by their political opponents at the election for being soft on suspected sex pests?

The timing of the vote was perhaps unfortunate, coming amid renewed controversy earlier this week over sex pest Charlie Elphicke, the former Conservative MP who was jailed for sex offences.

At the weekend his ex-wife Natalie, who defected from the Conservatives to Labour last week, was accused of lobbying a former justice secretary, Sir Robert Buckland, on his behalf, an allegation she dismissed as "nonsense".

And despite missing the weekly meeting of the parliamentary Labour Party earlier, Ms Elphicke duly voted with her new colleagues for a ban which would have almost certainly penalised her ex-husband had it been in force.

After the vote, leading supporters of the arrest ban were jubilant and stunned by the closeness of the vote. “Incredible!” Labour’s Stella Creasy told Sky News. Mr Rees-Mogg, however, condemned the proposal as a “power grab”.

It’s a historic vote. It doesn’t matter how close it was. Accusers will argue they’re now better protected. And MPs who supported the tougher ban argue that it brings the Commons into line with other workplaces.

Well, up to a point. MPs still have many perks and privileges that other employers and employees don’t. And Parliament still has a long way to go before its working practices and grievance procedures are brought fully up to date.

As we reported earlier, MPs today backed a proposal that would allow parliament to ban those from the estate who have been charged with sexual or violent crimes.

The amendment was to "leave out that a charge needs to be made for risk-based exclusion to apply" on the parliamentary estate.

This proposal, tabled by the Liberal Democrats, passed by 170 votes to 169.

Reacting to the win, MP Wendy Chamberlain said: "This is an important step towards making parliament a safe and modern place to work.

"It is not about the guilt or innocence of any individual MP, but about safeguarding.

"It's really important that parliament is just as safe as any other workplace and that everyone is held to account by similar rules."

By Alexandra Rogers , political reporter

The government has scrapped plans that critics argued would have "criminalised" homelessness following a backlash from Conservative MPs.

The Criminal Justice Bill - which originally contained provisions to target "nuisance begging" - has now been watered down by the government to quell a mounting rebellion of about 40 backbenchers.

Homelessness charity Crisis welcomed the changes but warned the "premise of the proposed laws remains the same".

MPs had raised objections to the bill's stated aim of combatting "nuisance begging", which could have targeted people sleeping in a doorway, those creating "excessive smell" or those who are "looking like they are intending to sleep on the streets".

The original version would also have given police or local authorities the power to issue "nuisance begging directions" to move people on, with a failure to comply potentially resulting in a month in prison.

You can read more from Sky News below:

The Sky News live poll tracker - collated and updated by our Data and Forensics team - aggregates various surveys to indicate how voters feel about the different political parties.

With the local elections complete, Labour is still sitting comfortably ahead, with the Tories trailing behind.

See the latest update below - and you can read more about the methodology behind the tracker  here .

A landmark parliamentary inquiry into traumatic childbirths has called for an overhaul of the UK's maternity services after finding poor care is "all-too-frequently tolerated as normal". 

The report calls for a new maternity commissioner who will report to the prime minister, better staffing levels on maternity wards, and for mothers to be listened to more.

On the Sky News Daily, Matt Barbet speaks to campaigner and mother-of-two Tinuke Awe about her experiences of giving birth, and is joined by Sky correspondent Laura Bundock to find out what the government plans to do to address the issues raised in the report.

By Connor Gillies , Scotland correspondent

The police investigation involving Nicola Sturgeon's husband is "moving on" with prosecutors to receive a file within weeks, Scotland's most senior officer has told Sky News.

The former first minister and SNP leader's spouse, Peter Murrell, has been charged in connection with embezzlement of party funds.

In her first interviews since taking on the UK's second biggest police force, Chief Constable Jo Farrell insisted her officers are "objective" but refused to be drawn on whether the long-running probe will end imminently.

The investigation, dubbed Operation Branchform, was launched in July 2021 after officers received complaints about how SNP donations were used.

There were questions about more than £660,000 raised for a second Scottish independence referendum campaign.

In January 2023, Rishi Sunak made five promises.

Since then, he and his ministers have rarely missed an opportunity to list them. In case you haven't heard, he promised to:

• Halve inflation • Grow the economy • Reduce debt • Cut NHS waiting lists and times • Stop the boats

See below how he is doing on these goals:

Over in the Commons, and MPs are voting on a number of proposals that would allow parliament to ban those from the estate who have been charged with sexual or violent crimes.

The result of one particular amendment has just been confirmed.

It proposed to "leave out that a charge needs to be made for risk-based exclusion to apply" on the parliamentary estate.

Initially, a House of Commons commission proposed a risk assessment would take place on whether an MP should be prevented from attending the parliamentary estate if they were arrested on suspicion of committing such an offence - not only if they were charged.

However, MPs have just voted in favour of the proposal to reinstate the original intention of the policy.

The vote was extremely close - 170 to 169.

As we reported earlier ( see 19.46 post ), MPs are tonight voting on proposals that would allow parliament to ban those from the estate who have been charged with sexual or violent crimes.

But concerns have been raised they have been watered down.

Labour MP Jess Phillips has argued: "Exclusion at the point of charge sends a clear message to victims that not only will we not investigate unless a victim goes to the police, but we won't act unless they're charged, which happens in less than 1% of cases."

A series of amendments are being voted on tonight - including one that would revert the proposal back to that lower threshold of an arrest.

We'll bring you the results of the votes later.

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