Help More Students Visit The Denver Museum Of Nature And Science
DENVER (CBS4)- The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is asking for the public's help, to make sure students of all ages can experience all the museum has to offer.
While entrance to the museum is free for classes, the bus rides to the facility are often pricey. School districts regularly require their classes to pay for field trip buses, which can cost several hundred dollars.
To assure students of all economic backgrounds can experience the venue, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science created the "Bus Fuel Fund." The fund provides scholarships to schools with at least 50 percent of students on free or reduced school lunch.
If schools are given the scholarships, the museum will cover the bus fare for all the students attending.
"A lot of these districts are a little tighter on their budget," said Hugo Valdez, Programs Specialist for On-Site Programs at DMNS.
During the 2017-2018 school year, the museum paid out more than $100,000 in bus fares for students. With that number growing each year, the museum found a new way to bring in more money for the fund.
If the museum receives the most votes through the Plante Moran Cares Charity Contest, they would be awarded $15,000 to go toward the fuel fund.
Museum employees told CBS4's Dillon Thomas the grant would allow them to further serve Colorado's young community.
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"We know those are schools, and students, that have under-served audiences," said Stephanie Wood, Director of Guest Services at the museum. "And, we would really like (those students) to come here. Because, this is everyone's museum."
One school advocating for the public to vote, is Slater Elementary School in Jefferson County. The school regularly relies on the fuel fund to bring their students to the museum.
"We definitely have families that cannot afford (the bus fare,)" said Kayla Taylor, second grade teacher at Slater Elementary. "If we didn't get the fuel grant, unfortunately, a lot of our kiddos wouldn't be able to afford it."
Those who vote for the museum can vote once daily, until the end of the contest.
Taylor encouraged those with spare time to regularly vote for the museum to make sure other students like hers could have the access they need to the museum.
"Being able to learn what (students) are doing in the classroom, but apply it and see it in a real world situation, is amazing," Taylor said.
The museum also hopes a potential victory in the contest would encourage students of many backgrounds to further explore history, and sciences.
"Who knows? Maybe one of these kids will one day be a great scientist, that will make a lot of discoveries," Valdez said. "We like to think of it that way."
LINK: Bus Fuel Fund Grant
Dillon Thomas is a reporter at CBS4 and a Colorado native. He believes everyone has a story, and would love to share yours! You can find more of his stories by following him on Twitter, @DillonMThomas.
