Bring Your Classroom to Duke’s Living Laboratory
The Duke Forest Field Trip Fund helps Durham Public Schools and Orange County Schools bring students into Duke’s largest and oldest outdoor laboratory.
Whether you want to lead your own lesson, collaborate with Duke Forest staff to develop a custom learning experience, or participate in a staff-led educational program, the Field Trip Fund helps remove financial barriers so more students can experience learning in the Forest.
What the Fund Supports
Grant funding may be used to cover costs associated with a Duke Forest field trip, including:
- Transportation
- Substitute or specialty teacher expenses
- On-site logistical needs, such as portable restrooms
- Other reasonable costs that make a field trip possible
Field trips may include:
- Instructor-led curriculum using the Duke Forest as an outdoor classroom
- Co-developed educational experiences created with Duke Forest staff
- Duke Forest staff-led educational programming
Why Duke Forest?
As Duke University’s largest outdoor teaching and research laboratory, the Duke Forest spans more than 7,100 acres across Durham, Orange, and Alamance counties. Its forests, streams, wetlands, wildlife habitats, diverse soils, and unique geological features provide countless opportunities for students to investigate ecology, history, geography, environmental stewardship, and more through hands-on learning.
Outdoor learning encourages curiosity, observation, critical thinking, and a deeper connection to the natural world while reinforcing classroom concepts in an engaging, real-world setting.
Eligibility
The Duke Forest Field Trip Fund is available to classes within Durham Public Schools and Orange County Schools. Preference will be given to elementary and middle school classes.
Applications open in Summer 2026 for field trips taking place during the 2026–2027 academic year.
During the program’s inaugural year, funding will support one field trip per school district—one during the fall semester and one during the spring semester. As the program grows, additional field trips may be funded based on demand and available resources.
About the Fund
The Field Trip Fund was established by longtime Duke Forest Resource Manager Judd Edeburn and his wife, Mary, both of whom are Duke Forest advocates and outdoor enthusiasts. Over their decades in the Forest, Judd and Mary have seen firsthand how immersive outdoor experiences inspire students to ask questions, make discoveries, and build lasting connections with the natural world.
The Fund honors their friend, Alice Edwards Mba, who has dedicated 25 years of service to Durham Public Schools as a Library Media Specialist. Throughout her career, she has worked to expand educational opportunities for local students by developing reading programs, initiating book and writing clubs, and creating a Digital Media journalism class.
Apply
Fill out the form below to be considered for a grant opportunity.