Grant to support San Bruno school field trips

The $35,000 grant will be divvied up among the district’s six schools with $5,000 going toward activities this year at each of its five elementary schools and $10,000 to Parkside Intermediate School.

The grant, funded by a restitution payment Pacific Gas & Electric Company paid to San Bruno following the Sept. 9, 2010, gas pipeline explosion and fire that killed eight, injured 66 and destroyed 38 homes, is the product of a survey conducted by the foundation’s Ad Hoc Committee on Education Initiatives.

Having reached out to parent-teacher organization leadership at all six campuses, the foundation learned that each campus has personal needs but commonly pointed to additional funding, particularly for outings, as their top issue.

Raul Gomez, secretary of the foundation’s Board of Directors and chair of the ad hoc advisory committee that proposed the grant, said in the press release that the foundation was thrilled to support local students with enriching educational opportunities and the parent-teacher organizations often looked to for similar support.

“We see tremendous value in field trips for elementary and middle school students — the chance to leave the school campus and be exposed to new experiences at museums, parks, concerts and other community venues — especially after more than two years of the pandemic when youth have faced mental health challenges with social distancing and isolation,” Gomez said. “Our hope is that students will, once again, be able to attend community events and benefit from experiential learning opportunities.”

Field trips saw a sudden stop in the spring of 2020 as COVID-19 began to spread and didn’t see a return until the 2021-22 school year, however, opportunities were still limited due to COVID-19 safety precautions, the foundation noted. And additional on-campus enrichment opportunities and activities were also limited for similar reasons.

Now with the support of the San Bruno Community Foundation, school board President Andriana Shea estimates that about five to 10 field trips will occur across the district. Grant funds can also be used for hosting on-campus events including art performances, educational presentations and other creative activities.

Shea went on the praise the foundation and grant, noting off-campus trips are an essential part of a student’s educational experience.

“We are very grateful for this support from our community foundation. Due to the pandemic, very few to no field trips have taken place over the last three school years. Getting students back out into the wider community is exciting and a breath of fresh air for our students,” Shea said in an email. “We are excited for our students to visit museums, parks, cultural institutions and other locations that will stimulate their thinking and create new, memorable experiences.”