During the month of October, we had the opportunity to travel to Savannah and interview some wonderful individuals at the Coastal Heritage Society (CHS) for our Georgia Studies Virtual Field Trip series. While there, we learned that the Coastal Heritage Society is working with the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System to offer first grade field trips every Tuesday to Title I schools across Chatham County throughout the 2015-2016 school year.

CHS is a non profit 501 (c) 3 corporation whose mission is to “preserve the cultural heritage of coastal Georgia and adjacent regions and to provide relevant educational experiences for the public.” With grants and donations from The Alan S. Gaynor Fund, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation and The Hodge Foundation, CHS takes a different first grade class on a field trip that engages them in STEM-related and other educational initiatives at the Savannah Children’s Museum. All activities are in alignment with the school’s curriculum and Georgia’s Standards of Excellence.

Students also travel to the Georgia State Railroad Museum where they embark on a guided train ride to learn about the history of the site and its impact on the state.

This program has already serviced approximately 2,900 students and the Coastal Heritage Society hopes to reach 2,500 more by the end of the 2015-2016 school year.

If you are interested in this opportunity or would like to learn more about any of the Coastal Heritage Society’s other educational field trips, you can click here or contact their Education Outreach Coordinator, Liz Stratford at lstratford@chsgeorgia.org. You can also find information on how to support the Coastal Heritage Society’s endeavors here.  

Tell us about your trip to the Savannah Children’s Museum or the Railroad Museum by leaving a comment below.  We would love to hear from you.