New Inspire Vancouver Field Trip Fund Opens Doors To Cultural Experiences For Students (Photo)
- 10/14/26
Vancouver, Wash. – Inspire Vancouver, the City of Vancouver's Cultural Access Program, has launched its new Field Trip Fund for the 2026-27 school year. The program brings dedicated funding to expand field trip access for students of all grade levels in public schools across Vancouver. The new funding will help more students experience arts, culture, heritage, and science firsthand.
Field trips to museums, theaters, science centers, and cultural sites give students hands-on experiences that bring classroom learning to life. In recent years, tighter school budgets across the region have made these experiences harder to fund, and many schools and families have stepped up to fill the gap through Parent Teacher Organization fundraising and parent volunteers. This new funding will help ensure that a student's opportunity to go on a field trip isn't shaped by how much a school community is able to fundraise.
Funded by the Cultural Access Sales Tax
Starting with the 2026-27 school year, Inspire Vancouver has set aside 10% of its annual funding for students in Vancouver Public Schools and Evergreen Public Schools. The Field Trip Fund is distributed directly to the districts, with each guaranteed at least 5% of tax revenue. This means schools can put the funding to work right away.
The Inspire Vancouver Field Trip Fund supplements existing school resources and can cover costs across all grade levels, including:
- Transportation to field trips
- Admission and program fees for cultural, arts, heritage, and science experiences
"Field trips provide students with hands-on learning experiences that bring the classroom to life. These experiences can spark curiosity, inspire lifelong relationships with the arts, culture and sciences, and even help shape future careers. We are incredibly grateful to Inspire Vancouver for investing in our students," said Carinn Ormson, Fine and Performing Arts and PE Specialist, Evergreen Public Schools.
"Through our partnership with Inspire Vancouver, we are creating more equitable access to enriching field trip experiences for our elementary students, while also expanding meaningful, curriculum-connected opportunities at the secondary level. These experiences help students connect classroom learning to their community and see their learning come to life. We are grateful for a partnership that is helping make authentic learning experiences more accessible to Vancouver Public Schools students," said Traci Young, Curriculum Specialist, Vancouver Public Schools.
Inspire Vancouver is one way the City of Vancouver puts tax dollars directly to work for the community. The program is funded by a 0.1% sales tax approved by City Council in December 2024. The tax costs the average household about $30 a year, roughly a penny per $10 spent, and is expected to generate up to $7 million annually for the community. Ninety percent of that revenue goes directly to eligible organizations and schools, a direct return of local tax dollars into experiences that benefit Vancouver's students and residents. The Field Trip Fund is one part of Inspire Vancouver's first grant cycle. Application-based grants for nonprofit organizations focused on arts, culture, heritage, and science will be awarded later this year, with those funds supporting programming during the 2026-27 year.
Looking Ahead
Inspire Vancouver is also in ongoing conversations with the school districts to explore additional ways to expand student access to enriching experiences in the years ahead. As part of that work, the program will include additional School Grant opportunities dedicated to helping eligible nonprofit organizations bring their programming directly into schools, alongside its continued support for youth-focused cultural activities. Applications for School Grants will open in spring of 2027.
About Inspire Vancouver
Inspire Vancouver is the City of Vancouver’s Cultural Access Program. Funded by a 0.1% sales tax, Inspire Vancouver grants help local nonprofit arts, culture, heritage, and science groups bring programs to more neighborhoods and more people in Vancouver. It also gives kids more chances to learn and helps build long-lasting cultural programs for the community.
For more information about the Field Trip Fund and other funding opportunities, visit www.inspirevancouver.org/.
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