Travel Grants
Open Outdoors for Kids – OOK Grants
Glacier National Park and Montana Environmental Education Association (MEEA) are partnered together to provide students from across Montana the opportunity to engage with their public lands. The OOK Grants are administered by Glacier National Park Service, with MEEA as the non-profit partner, providing assistance with determining awards and managing funds provided by the National Park Foundation.
How to Apply for a grant:
To apply for a grant, complete a 2024-25 Montana Students on the Land Travel Grant Application.
Grant applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis and continued to be awarded as long as funds are available.
Field trips must take place by June 1, 2025.
Applicants must indicate that they are going to a public land or tribal land site that is supported by the Open OutDoors for Kids Grant Program. Educators receiving grant awards must agree to complete a post-visit report after their field trip that includes a field trip photo.
Preference will be given to applicants that:
● Describe in their applications how they will implement a “three aspect” project that includes a pre-visit lesson, the field day, and post visit elements. (Ex. Plan to include interpretative and/or educational programs at public lands sites.)
● Hold Title 1 school classification during the 2024-25 school year (if the applicant is school-based)
● Have a majority of fourth graders in their classroom/group.
● Originate from underrepresented geographic areas across the state.
You can find answers to commonly asked questions on our FAQ sheet.
If you have other questions please contact glac_education@nps.gov.
OOK Grants are intended to lower or remove cost barriers for field trips to public lands. The funding provides primarily transportation assistance to elementary classes, with an emphasis on 4th grade students. A further primary concern is providing outdoor education opportunities to Title I schools and those from underserved and disadvantaged areas of Montana.
The application process encourages schools and teachers to use a three-aspect approach to outdoor education by conducting pre- and post-visit activities in conjunction with their field trip. Teachers awarded grants are asked to submit an on-line post-visit survey with photos to the Glacier National Park offices who manage the program.
