Let Us Help Bring Your Kids To Hartley

We understand that funding differs for all districts, and Hartley is willing to help. Additional funding opportunities are available through various sources, including state funds, grants, and specific programs. We encourage teachers to collaborate with their administration, PTA, local businesses, and other stakeholders to explore diverse funding avenues beyond relying solely on parents.

Hartley staff can help with grant language or are happy to add elements to programs that meet specific needs to meet requirements. Email Sam Simons at ssimons1@sisd.cc with questions or for support. Together, we can bring your students out for an experience like no other.

Title and State Funding

Our programs help with at-risk students (title 1 and 31a), student populations (title and section 41), and programs can even be designed for literacy additional time (section 35a and 23g).

Grants and Scholarships

There are several small, local grants that can support STEM and environmental education. Additionally, our programs can support Social Emotional Behavioral education and do qualify for those funding opportunities.

  • Michigan Nature Association - MNA makes $500 grants available for field trips to natural areas.

  • DonorsChoose - Connects teachers with companies and donors nationwide.

  • Field trip Directory - A list of organizations and specific grants that are focused on providing field trips.

  • Student Travel Planning Guide - A list of several organizations that provide grants.

  • GetEdFunding - A comprehensive list of available grants that is updated daily.

  • Local businesses may also be willing to provide a scholarship for students.

Local Fundraising Ideas

  • Approach service clubs for scholarships (Kiwanis, Rotary, etc.).

  • Sell Environmentally-Friendly Products: Students learn ways they can help the environment. Sell t-shirts: T-shirts are a great way to raise money and awareness of your anticipated trip to Hartley. Have a logo designed by a local t-shirt company or do a student logo contest. Sell trees: Contact a local nursery to donate or sell trees to your school at a reduced cost. After selling the trees, offer to deliver and plant them for an additional fee. Sell reusable string or canvas shopping bags. Sell unbreakable, reusable thermal coffee mugs. Have students design an environmental picture or message to print on the mugs. Sell recycled paper items.

  • Start a recycling program at school and use the funds to send students to Hartley every year. This can give students a hands-on opportunity to reduce waste. Try to include all types of paper. One middle school in Virginia collected 125,000 cans in two days and made over $2000 (Recycler’s Handbook). Collection Ideas: Put bins on school grounds for recycled items. Send notices to parents and other community members to bring their cans and bottles to school on specific days for recycling. Recruit volunteers to transport recyclable items to a recycling center or see if a recycling center will pick up large quantities.

  • Sponsor an “a-thon”. Walk-A-Thon: Pledges are made for each unit of time or distance accomplished. Clean-a-thon: Students get sponsors to pledge money for every piece of litter picked up or every minute worked. Hold a Clean-a-thon at the beach, in a park, along a stream bank, or any other local area. Students will have the opportunity to contribute to the community while raising funds. Spell-a-thon: Students collect sponsors to pledge money for every HOEC vocabulary word they spell correctly. Students will have the opportunity to learn while raising funds.

  • Make crafts from “junk” as a class art project, then sell them at a crafts fair or parent night. Another idea is to make and sell bird feeders and include drawings and natural history cards about the birds that might eat from the feeders.

  • Wash cars and provide a flyer on how to make a car more fuel-efficient.

  • Have a bake sale or sell popsicles or pizza.

Fundraising Tips

Each school determines the final cost to students for Hartley programs. For residential overnight programs, schools are responsible for arranging transportation to and from Hartley. Teachers may decide to raise money as a school or class to offset or eliminate the program costs for families. Students participating in tuition fundraising often feel unique ownership of their time at Hartley and a sense of pride for their school or class accomplishment.

  • Successful fundraising requires the establishment of a parent or teacher-led group that will define tasks and assignments of responsibilities.

  • Communication with all involved parties (parents, students, teachers, and administration) ensures support and goodwill.

  • Clear declaration of goals can determine the fundraising approach.

  • Composition of a mission statement explains the needs and benefits of the group to potential donors. The mission statement may take the form of a simple sentence such as “Our fifth-grade class hopes to attend Hartley Outdoor Education Center this school year. We believe that participation in such a program will allow our students to apply classroom knowledge in a natural setting, foster a love of wildlife, and encourage positive memories with classmates." 

  • Appointment of a person to process the handling of donations helps with the determination of progress.

  • Grants, individual donations, and events are favored means of fundraising. Groups often evaluate their own capabilities and select an approach that suits their strengths.

  • Expression of gratitude and thanks to donors, volunteers, and team members is essential.

  • Maintaining and keeping records of activities and results can assist future groups with their fundraising efforts.

Fundraising Procedures and Ideas

When choosing a fundraiser consider the overall costs and profit, the number of hours involved, the reliability of candidate companies, avoiding competition with other fundraisers, and the needs of the community. The library and internet have information on how to have a successful fundraiser. Here are a few helpful guides: