San Diego School Field Trip Nonprofit Gets Its Largest Grant Ever

SAN DIEGO, CA — A nonprofit that coordinates school field trips in San Diego County has received its largest ever one-time grant, a sum of $25,000 from The Parker Foundation, the group’s board president said Friday.

The organization ArtsBusXpress will use its new grant to help pay a professional staff person, who would supplement a volunteer team in adding virtual field trips for K-12 students throughout San Diego County.

“We’ve stepped up to the plate, and they said you have a great program going,” board President Ted Peña said, recalling the grant application process.

ArtsBusXpress normally gets grants of $5,000 to $10,000, Peña said.

The organization founded in 2002 works across the county’s 42 school districts to coordinate field trips for schools without their own budgets for outings. Last year it shifted to virtual tours of arts and science venues. Those events reached 6,500 students across 20 school districts, Peña said. It has served some 200,000 students total.

ArtsBusXpress normally gets 40% of its funding from private donors and the rest from corporate sponsorships, among other sources.

The Parker Foundation funds charitable work in San Diego County. It haas granted more $56 million since its inception in 1971 and provided seed money when ArtsBusXpress was founded.