Dana-Thomas House Field Trip Grant 

1. What is the application deadline?
This grant has a continuous application period.

2. How often are the grants distributed?
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources Dana-Thomas Historic Site Field Trip Grants are distributed on an as requested basis during the school year until funds are gone.

3. When will I receive the money?
This grant is awarded on a reimbursement basis. Notification is made to the winners within one week of application submittal. The school or organization must spend the money, and then submit the proper paperwork to receive reimbursement.

4. Can I use the money to pay for a field trip that we will take before the grants are awarded?
No. The field trip cannot occur prior to the awarding of the grants.

5. I want to buy some equipment to use on the field trip. Will the funds cover that expense?
No. Equipment is not eligible for funding.

6. If I am awarded a grant, can I apply again for more funding in subsequent years?
Yes. There is no limit on the number of times you can apply for the grant.

7. An unexpected event occurred that did not allow us to take our planned field trip. What should we do?
Contact the IDNR Division of Education at 217-524-4126 or dnr.teachkids@illinois.gov with any questions that you have regarding changes in the scheduled trip.

8. Since we couldn’t go on our field trip as scheduled this school year, can we save the funds and go in the next school year?
No. The funds must be used by June 15 in the school year that they are awarded.

9. We are going to have funds remaining from the grant award. Can we pay for some items that were not in the original budget?
No.

10. What is the time frame for spending the funds?

The field trip must be completed by June 15 of the school year in which the funds are awarded. Reimbursement paperwork and the final report are due by one month after the field trip date.

11. I would like to take my students on a field trip, but I don’t know where to go. What are some options?
Only visits to the Dana Thomas Historic Site are eligible to apply for funding from this grant.

12. We want to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield also. Would your grant provide funding for this trip?
No, only trips to the Dana-Thomas Historic Site are covered.

13. Several of the teachers in our school want to apply for a grant. Is it OK to do so?
Yes. There is no limit to the number of teachers who can apply per school.

14. I would like to apply for funding for multiple field trips within the school year. Am I allowed to do so?
Yes. There is no limit to the number of applications per teacher. However, each trip must be represented by its own application.

15. All our fourth-grade students are studying about Illinois. We would like to take them on a field trip to Dana-Thomas State Historic Site. Can all the fourth-grade teachers apply on one application form?
Multiple teachers may apply for a field trip on the same day, to the same location for the same purpose. However, the maximum amount of funds per application is $500.00. You may need to submit more than one application to cover all the teachers and students. You may need to apply for field trips on more than one day to accommodate all the students. Each field trip date requires a separate application. If you have questions about eligibility, please contact the IDNR Division of Education at 217-524-4126 or dnr.teachkids@illinois.gov before submitting your application.

16. I would like to apply for the funds to take my college students on a field trip. Do I qualify for the grant?
No. The grant funds are only available to teachers of prekindergarten through grade 12 students.

17. My principal originally approved the grant application, but now has decided that we cannot go on the field trip. What should I do?
Unfortunately, changes sometime occur after the grant is awarded. If you can no longer go on the field trip send an email to the IDNR Division of Education (dnr.teachkids@illinois.gov) stating so.

18. We applied for an Illinois Department of Natural Resources Historic Sites Field Trip Grant last year. Can we submit that application again instead of writing a new one?
No. The questions and requirements are updated annually to improve the program. Providing information from a previous year may not meet the current year’s requirements and can cause your application to be disqualified.

19. If we apply for a grant, will we automatically receive the funding?
No. This is a competitive grant. Applications are scored independently by judges. The number of grants awarded is based on the scoring results and the amount of available funds.