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2027 Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant is a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that funds school field trips to Illinois natural areas and nature centers to promote biodiversity education. The program reimburses transportation expenses so K-12 students can visit forests, prairies, wetlands, and other ecosystems across the state. Eligible applicants are Illinois public and private K-12 schools.
Reimbursements of up to $150 per trip are available, with preference for schools serving low-income communities. Applications are accepted during the 2026-2027 school year.
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Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant Application deadline for 2027 is 11:59:59 p. m. , February 1, 2027.
Teachers of grades prekindergarten through 12 in Illinois, including home-schooling teachers, may apply. The main sponsors of the Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant program are the Daniel F. and Ada L.
Rice Foundation of Skokie and D. F. and M.
T. Grohne Family Foundation of Wilmington. The maximum award has been raised to $600.
00 per teacher. The maximum award for transportsation has been raised to $1,200. 00 per trip.
The maximum amount allowed for substitute teachers is $150. 00 per sub. Not new, but bears reiteration, this grant will only pay for substitutes for teachers accompanying their own students.
Substitute teachers for teachers who attend trips as additional chaperones will not be funded through this grant. In an effort to reduce errors on Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant applications, this video has been produced for persons wanting to apply for this grant. Watching this video prior to applying is mandatory.
Any errors made that are addressed in this video will cause the application to be disqualified. Grants are only available to teachers of grades prekindergarten through 12 in Illinois schools and home-schooling teachers in Illinois and are awarded for the purpose of studying some aspect of Illinois’ biodiversity. “Biodiversity” refers to the variety of life in an area.
The field trip should support Illinois natural resources topics currently being taught in the applicant’s curriculum. At least 75% of the field trip must occur outdoors to be eligible for these grant funds. The field trip site must be in Illinois.
Field trips for agricultural and historical topics will not be funded. Grants are not transferable. They may not be transferred to another person, school or grade level.
The field trip must occur before December 31, 2027. More information will be provided to grant award winners. Notification to all applicants will be made no later than March 15, 2027.
Do not plan a field trip prior to this date. The Final Report is due no later than one month after the date of the field trip. Funding priority will be given to single-day field trips.
There is a $600 limit per teacher. Multiple teachers within the same school can collaborate on a field trip. The collaborating teachers must attend the same field trip on the same day.
If you have questions about eligibility, please contact the IDNR Division of Education before submitting your application. In order to qualify for the $600 maximum per teacher in a collaborative field trip, each teacher must be accompanying their own students. Bus transportation costs for collaborative field trips may not exceed $1,200.
00 regardless of the number of participating teachers. The maximum amount allowed for substitute teachers is $150. 00 per sub.
This grant will only pay for substitutes for teachers accompanying their own students on the field trip. Substitute teachers for teachers who attend trips as additional chaperones will not be funded through this grant. There is a $20.
00 per student maximum for expenses that are not related to transportation costs or substitute teacher costs. These expenses must be itemized in the "Other fee(s)" category. Funds are awarded on a reimbursement basis to the school.
Reimbursement will only occur for budget items approved by the judging committee. With the exception of home-schooling teachers who do not have a cooperative organization FEIN, no reimbursement is made to individuals. A W-9 form is no longer required for this grant during the application process.
The IDNR Division of Education may still contact you after the fact for a current W-9 form. Items Eligible for Funding Items eligible for funding include transportation and compensation for substitute teachers for those teachers accompanying their own students on the field trip. Admission fees and program fees directly related to the field trip will be considered if ample funds are available.
Judges have the right to partially fund requests. Primary Expenses: Transportation and substitute teacher fees are the primary expenses eligible for funding. These expenses will be funded first on all winning single-day field trip applications.
Bus transportation costs on collaborative field trips may not exceed $1,200. 00 regardless of the number of collaborating teachers. Substitute teacher fees are only reimbursed for teachers who are accompanying their own students on the field trip.
There is a limit of $150. 00 per sub. Transportation and substitute teacher fees will be awarded to multi-day field trips after the single-day field trip awards if funds are available.
Substitute teacher awards will be given for one day of the trip only. Other fee(s): Admission fees and other fees directly related to the field trip will only be funded by the recommendation of the judges and if funds are available. FOOD, LODGING, CHAPERONE FEES, DONATIONS, SUPPLIES, SCHOLARSHIPS, WEB DEVELOPMENT, BOOKS AND EQUIPMENT DO NOT QUALIFY FOR FUNDING.
There is a $20. 00 per student maximum for expenses that are not related to transportation costs or substitute teacher costs. These expenses must be itemized in the "Other fee(s)" category and do not include transportation and substitute costs.
Responsibilities of Awardees It is the responsibility of the grant awardee to maintain contact with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Division of Education (IDNR DOE) concerning any changes to the specifications of the awarded grant. This list includes, but it not limited to, the following: Grants are not transferable to another person, school, or grade level.
You also cannot change the proposed location and/or proposed lessons and activities. If there is a conflict with the proposed date, you must notify the IDNR DOE as to the new date before the trip occurs. If you must cancel the trip, you must notify the IDNR DOE as soon as possible.
If you cancel your trip and you notify the IDNR DOE before the trip was to occur, you will face no penalty. You and your school will be eligible for grant funds during the next year's grant cycle. If you DO NOT take your trip and you DO NOT notify the IDNR DOE, you and your school will be ineligible for grant funds during the next year's grant cycle.
If you have any questions concerning your grant award, contact the IDNR DOE. Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant Application To begin the application, you are required to enter your name and email address. Once you complete your portion of the application, you will be required to enter the name and email address of the individual that will be signing off on your application.
You will see this box: You are to put the name and email address of the principal/superintendent that is the signing official for this grant. DO NOT USE THE NAMES OF OTHER PARTICIPATING TEACHERS. You can save the application so you can continue to fill it out at a later date.
On the upper left-hand portion of the application page, you will see a drop-down menu button labeled Options . Click this button and you will see where you can save the application. You will need to enter your name and email address.
The Abode system will send you an email link that will allow you to continue your application. Once that is complete and you submit the application, you will be sent a verification email to the address you listed on the application. You may save the application and return to it to complete it at any time during the process.
However, once the application is completed and signed, it cannot be edited. You will receive a PDF copy of your application as well as notification that the application has been received by the IDNR Division of Education. The application is due to the Division of Education no later than 11:59:59 p.
m. on February 1, 2027. Click here for the 2027 Application.
If you have any problems or have any questions, please contact IDNR Education at 217-524-4126 or email joe. bauer@illinois. gov .
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According to the current listing, eligibility includes: K-12 schools in Illinois. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
Applications for 2027 Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant are due February 1, 2027. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
2027 Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant is funded by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Division of Education. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This opportunity targets applicants in Illinois. If your organization operates elsewhere, check the official notice for location requirements.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
2026-2027 IDNR Historic Sites Field Trip Grant is a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources that funds school field trips to Illinois state historic sites during the 2026-2027 academic year. The program reimburses transportation costs to help Illinois classrooms visit sites such as Lincoln's New Salem and Fort de Chartres. Eligible applicants are Illinois K-12 public and private schools. Reimbursements of up to $150 per trip are available, with priority given to schools with higher percentages of low-income students. Applications open in fall 2026.
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