A class field trip to the BFEC gives student hands-on, memorable experiences that relate to science academic content standards.
Teachers may select from six programs created by BFEC staff, including: Ohio Plants & Animals, The 3R's & Nature's Recyclers, Exploring the World of Birds, Nature Writing & Drawing, Butterflies & Insects, and Kokosing River Study. All field trips address grade level content standards and include nature walks and hands-on activities.
BFEC staff oversee all field trips and supervise volunteers who work with small groups of students. Depending on their age, children are broken into groups of 5-12 students each, and paired with 1-2 volunteers or staff. In addition, we request that classes bring 1 adult (including parents and teachers) for every 8-10 children in the class.
To take advantage of good weather during the school year, field trips are usually scheduled during a fall season (late September through October) and a spring season (late March through early May). Field trips are typically two hours long, or one hour for pre-K classes. Teachers may request a morning session between the hours of 9 a.m. and noon or afternoon session between the hours of noon and 2:30 p.m. BFEC staff may direct teachers to days of the week and times when volunteers are most available.
Given our small staff size, we generally ask groups with 50 students or more to split up for two sessions over a morning and afternoon on the same day or on two separate days. Doing so allows us to maintain appropriate student-to-leader ratio for outdoor learning. Groups that choose this option are welcome to use other BFEC field trip curricula, outdoor space, and equipment for "waiting" groups. Teachers are encouraged to contact us to discuss options.
Field trip fees are $2 per student, up to a maximum of $40 per class. Multi-grade groups may be charged an additional fee for special programming. There is no fee for Head Start students. To assist schools with limiting field trip funding, the BFEC has established a scholarship grant fund. Download information and an application (PDF) or contact Noelle Jordan at jordan2@kenyon.edu or 740-427-5052.
Though teachers may inquire at any time of the year, staff begin accepting field trip reservations 1-2 weeks prior to the season start date. We typically begin accepting reservations in mid-March for our spring season, and mid-September for our fall season. Contact Program Assistant Jill Kerkhoff at kerkhoffj@kenyon.edu to check on dates for the upcoming season or be placed on our mailing list to receive notices. Once you've selected a program, contact Jill to schedule your visit. Please have a few dates in mind to allow us to select a date with sufficient volunteer availability.
Once you've scheduled your visit, here are a few additional points to keep in mind: