Supporting Equitable Long-Term Field Trip Participation in a Rural State

• In Event: Pedagogical Practices and Programmatic Structures to Support Youth Participation and Learning in Informal Environments

Abstract

Factors affecting participation in school field trips often have equity implications – districts with fewer resources have fewer opportunities, especially in rural areas where transportation costs and other “hard infrastructure” barriers can be prohibitive (Pinkard, 2019). The focal program – an ecologically oriented, well-structured, hands-on experience for 5th and 6th grade students that has been in place for over a decade – tries to address these issues by providing free (to schools) transportation and other supports. As part of a larger investigation of the long-term impact of the program on the STEM learning ecosystem, this paper explores geographic and community/ population factors that contribute to more or less consistent participation. Implications for addressing challenges to equitable field trip participation are explored.

Authors

• James K.L. Hammerman, TERC

• Sabrina De Los Santos Rodríguez, TERC