The Partnership for the Sounds’ 2010 Annual Membership Campaign will be used to establish to a special fund that will help schools make field trip trips to PfS facilities during the 2010-11 school year.

Called “Adopt-a-Class,” the campaign will pool this year’s membership donations into an endowment that will provide scholarships to offset student admission and program fees at the North Carolina Estuarium, The Roanoke/Cashie River Center, and the Columbia Theater Resources Center. In essence, it means that for every $100 in memberships we receive, a class will be able to visit a PfS facility for free.

Why do it?  Due to budget cuts and the tough economy, schools are finding it harder to take field trips. AaC will encourage school visitation to PfS facilities and help us continue to fulfill our environmental education mission.

How will it work?  Each scholarship would cover admission and program fees for each student, so each would be worth roughly $100 ($4 x 25 students). We will use a portion of the fund to bring specific grade levels in the Beaufort, Bertie, Hyde and Tyrrell county school systems to one of our facilities. The remainder of the funds will be made to teachers/classes on a first-come, first-serve basis.