Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
11/12/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/13/2026 15:16
IDNR awards $7,750 in grants for educational field trips
SPRINGFIELD - Nearly 700 students will be able to visit Illinois state historic sites during the 2026-2027 school year through grant funding provided by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) State Historic Sites Field Trip Grant Program. The program awarded $7,750 in donated funds to support 16 field trip grants benefiting 11 schools across the state.
"Our students need opportunities to visit the places where history happened and experience Illinois' historical resources firsthand," said IDNR Director Jim Montgomery. "These grants help bring classroom learning to life by allowing students to explore and learn at historic sites across the state."
More details are available on the IDNR education grants website. The 2026-2027 State Historic Sites Field Trip Grant recipients are:
Clark County
- Martinsville Jr.-Sr. High School, Martinsville
Cook County
- AAA Academy, Blue Island
- Catalpa Early Childhood Center, Chicago
- Parkside STEAM Community Academy, Chicago
- St. Frances of Rome School, Cicero
Fulton County
- Lewistown Jr./Sr. High School, Lewistown
Jackson County
- Immanuel Lutheran School, Murphysboro
Logan County
- New Holland Middletown Elementary School, Middletown
Monroe County
- Immaculate Conception School, Columbia
Perry County
- Pinckneyville Jr. High School, Pinckneyville
St. Clair County
- Wirth Middle School, Cahokia Heights
Shelby County
- Trinity Lutheran School, Stewardson
Union County
- Jonesboro Elementary School, Jonesboro
Woodford County
- Lowpoint-Washburn CUSD 21, Washburn
The IDNR State Historic Sites Field Trip Grant Program began during the 2020-21 school year. This year's recipients represent students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The 2026-27 school year marks the largest number of grants awarded since the program began.
The competitive grant program allows Illinois teachers to apply for funding to take students on educational field trips to designated Illinois state historic sites. Field trip activities must directly support the school's curriculum. Grant funding covers bus transportation costs only.
The annual application deadline is Sept. 15. Applications for the 2027-28 school year will be available onilne in the spring of 2027. For more information about the IDNR State Historic Sites Field Trip Grant Program, contact the IDNR division of education at [email protected] or call 217-524-4126.
The Illinois Conservation Foundation accepts donations to support the program. For more information, visit ilconservation.org .
About IDNR
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources was established in 1925 as the Illinois Department of Conservation, bringing under one umbrella oversight of fish and game, forestry, public works, and lakes. Today, IDNR's work encompasses management of about 400 sites across Illinois, including state parks and historic sites; wildlife, fisheries, forestry, and natural heritage; Lake Michigan water allocation and coastal management; conservation police; mines and minerals; oil and gas; issuance of licenses, permits, and numerous grants; the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta; and the Illinois State Museum. Visit https://dnr.illinois.gov and follow us on Facebook , YouTube and LinkedIn .
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency published this content on November 12, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on November 13, 2026 at 21:16 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]