Philanthropic Ventures Foundation recently launched the San Francisco Teacher Resource Grants Program, supported by a generous foundation donor. The program is open to select San Francisco Public Schools to provide funding to improve classroom instruction and learning.

Below is a wonderful thank you we received from a teacher who was awarded a grant to take his students to the San Jose Tech museum, aka the “best field trip ever.”

May 14, 2012

Dear Philanthropic Ventures,

My class and I are truly grateful for your generous gift of $500, which allowed us to charter a bus and visit the San Jose Tech Museum.

A visit to this museum is a rare opportunity for our students here at Guadalupe. It is an hour away and no school buses will take us that far. The last time we went was three years ago; since then we have tried to raise the money from different sources, but were ultimately disappointed. How wonderful to be presented with this check by your group at this late stage in the year, and to be able to surprise the class with this wonderful trip and learning experience.

At the museum, our class started with a chemistry lab; we watched as the instructor showed us how fireworks are colored by adding certain elements to the explosive material. Then we mixed some chemicals together and learned about chemical change vs physical change. Following the lab, we were granted free admission to see an IMAX movie entitled “Born to Be Free”. Finally, the students had almost two hours to explore and learn in this truly fascinating, hands on museum.

When we returned, many students said that this was the “best field trip ever”.

On a more personal note, I also want to give you my sincere thanks for making the process about as hassle free as possible. I have applied for many grants in my years of teaching, and even those generous groups who attempt to streamline the application process seem unable to simplify it enough. There are often several pages of information they require, such as a breakdown of the school demographics, languages, essays from the kids and/or teachers, etc. And then, if we are lucky enough to be granted the requested funds, it is often the case that the money is encumbered or restricted in some capacity. With your group, you simply said “fax us a letter and tell us how you would use the $500, and then let us know how it went.” Amazing!

So please accept my heartfelt gratitude for making “the best field trip ever” possible.

Sincerely
Grey Todd
Guadalupe Elementary
San Francisco, CA