Today’s young people are the leaders, innovators, and thinkers who will shape the next 250 years — and it’s important their voices are heard as we commemorate this historic milestone.
America’s Field Trip is a nationwide contest that invites students across the country in grades 3–12 to be part of our nation’s 250th anniversary by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — with the chance to earn an unforgettable field trip experience at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks.
Students are asked to submit writing or original artwork in response to the contest’s prompt: “What does America mean to you?”
In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, America’s Field Trip is expanding with more exciting field trips, and more opportunities for students to win. A total of 250 students will be awarded a special behind-the-scenes field trip experience this summer or a cash prize.
Each of the 125 first-place awardees and their chaperone will receive airfare and lodging for a three-day, two-night trip at select historical or cultural sites where they will experience one of the following:
*This field trip will be offered twice.
A total of 125 second-place awardees will receive a $500 cash award. The teacher associated with the top scoring student submission in each grade level category will receive a $1,000 cash award.
A diverse panel of judges consisting of current and former educators will review and score submissions based on the following weighted criteria:
Educators and school administrators will play an important role in engaging students and school communities in this contest and commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.
Students participating in the America’s Field Trip contest will be challenged to think critically about the nation’s journey to becoming a more perfect union, reflecting on the pivotal events and historical figures that have shaped this country.
America250 has partnered with worldwide ed tech leader Discovery Education to provide teachers with customized toolkits, lesson plans, and classroom resources in both English and Spanish that integrate the contest prompt into standards frameworks.
In partnership with:
Funding provided by The Bank of New York Mellon Foundation. Custom educational programming for students and teachers developed by Discovery Education.
For the third edition of the America’s Field Trip contest, a record number of students from across the country submitted inspiring writing and artwork responding to the prompt “What does America mean to you?” A panel of current and former educators selected 250 student awardees, hailing from 46 states and U.S. territories.