The Minnesota Field Trip Library & EXPO... A FREE & Unique Resource to help you discover Minnesota’s BEST educational and recreational Field Trip Destinations and in-school & Youth Programs
GOOD NEWS! WE REQUIRE NO PASSWORDS, DUES OR SECRET HANDSHAKES!!! Today there is more interest than ever in providing our students and youth with hands-on learning experiences via field trips and education programs in the diverse areas of arts & culture, history & heritage, STEM (science, technology, engineering. and mathematics), environment, agriculture, physical education & sports, lifestyle, business, faith & religion, and many more.
Activity Planning Support for Schools and Youth Groups
Since its beginning only 3 years ago, the MN Field Trip Library has become a comprehensive, free resource for helping you discover unique and new educational and/or recreational ideas, stay informed about new/improved programs, and simply to have a place to turn when you need support resources (i.e.,, field trips, presenters & programs, fundraising, transportation and travel services).
Who is all this for?
- Professional educators and staff from public, private, charter & specialty schools
- Activity Directors and staff, Advisors, Boosters
- Curriculum developers, Counselors
- Library Professionals
- Community education directors, staff, including activity coordinators
- After-school and summer activity coordinators
- Childcare activity coordinators
- Homeschool co-op education leaders and homeschool parents
- Youth group leaders and activity planners (scouts, church, 4-H, etc)
- Youth organization & club planners (YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, etc)
- Youth agency planning staffmembers & coordinators
- Park & Recreation Department staff & activity coordinators
- Tour operators & Tour Planners serving the youth market
FOUR Convenient FREE Tools to help you plan your field trips and activities... Available right now!
1.The MN Field Trip GUIDE - A printed 64 page (in 2014) guide to give a planner ideas and direction. See the digital version on our website homepage.
2.The Library Online - our 24/7 website (you’re on it right now) - which includes the NEW “
COMMUNITIES WITH FIELD TRIPS!” Area!
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http://www.mnfieldtriplibrary.org/MN_Field_Trip_Library/Partner_Directory.html
3.The Field Trip ALERTS - our monthly e-newsletter
4.The MN Field Trip EXPO - our annual “in-person” planning event... Minnesota’s BEST providers in one place and at one time... FOR YOU!
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http://www.mnfieldtriplibrary.org/MN_Field_Trip_Library/EXPO.html
1. The MN Field Trip GUIDE
2014 was the first year for this handy, annually printed publication. We printed 10,000 and in the first 3 months (Feb - Mar - April, 2014) we have hand-distributed more than 6,500. They went like hotcakes! Look us up at a conference near you for your copy! Next printing? January 2015
2. The MN Field Trip Library’s “Library Online”
After you’ve seen The MN Field Trip Library at your conference or event, you can use the
LIBRARY ONLINE 24/7, too! At no charge! Here you can access two directories and other helpful resources (see the bottom of every webpage):
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THE PARTNER DIRECTORY: This directory is filled with all the Field Trip Library “Partners”, as we call them, who participate in the MN Field Trip Library. Here you’ll find each Partner’s own webpage with lots of hotlinked information - from digital flip-page brochures, study guides, video tours, social media, to location maps.
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THE GENERAL DIRECTORY: Here you can get lots of ideas about destinations and programs that are not yet participating in the MN Field Trip Library. Divided by region, you may not have known there are so many opportunities for youth groups!
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PERFORMANCE VENUES: If you lead a band, choir or orchestra and are looking for places they can play, check out this webpage. It contains Library Partners who are also performance venues.
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YOUTH DAYS: A number of Library Partners offer special rates and packages on pre-determined days and/or times for special youth groups (i.e., scouts, church, homeschoolers, 4-H and others). As a “planner” you need to bookmark this webpage.
3. The MN Field Trip Library’s “FIELD TRIP ALERTS”
Get these free monthly email newsletters and Alerts sent right into your mailbox. They’re filled with news, upcoming special pricing offers, and lots more!
4. The Annual MN Field Trip EXPO
Imagine getting all the providers in one place and then having the opportunity to talk to them in-person! That’s the EXPO!
On August 6th the 2013 EXPO was held at Target Field’s LEGENDS CLUB, and 400 educators and youth leaders attended our free event! There were not only 108 providers in their own exhibit booths, there were performances, an inflatable planetarium, an authentic Ojibwe tipi, an earth balloon, a roaring, animated dinosaur, a honeybee exhibit, and many more recreational and educational hands-on opportunities.
EXTRA!!! EXTRA!!! Grants & Fundraising - Because it takes money to “turn the wheels”
You should check out the Grant Resources webpage as you search for grants and ways to fund field trips and in-school programs. We are always collecting information - and putting it the
GRANT RESOURCES webpage on this website - to help you discover a variety of ways to help you pay for field trips and program activities when budgets come up short. (Note: If you know of a grant resource that you believe should be on the GRANT RESOURCES webpage, please let us know at
mark@MnFieldTripLibrary.org.
We invite you to use our resource tools to plan your activities. If you like what you are finding, please share this with a friend, co-leader, or professional peer.
This is the last update of the 2014-2015 school year! We hope you have had a great school year and have learned a thing or two from this blog. Pam, Mary, Brandon, and Karen are around all summer and the candy dish is always full! Stop in and say hello, grab a cup of coffee and a piece of candy. Enjoy your summer and get rested for another great school year!
