The Anonymous Trust trustees have generously awarded the Tryon Palace Foundation with a generous charitable grant of $170,000 for their Palace Scholars program and for a new educational outreach program. Additionally, the Anonymous Trust has approved two challenge grants that have the potential to raise an additional $120,000 in funding for these programs.
The Tryon Palace Scholars program is privately funded through the Tryon Palace Foundation. The program helps offset field trip expenses for Title I schools in North Carolina wishing to visit Tryon Palace and participate in its educational programming. Without this funding relief, many underserved schools in eastern NC would be unable to afford a field trip for their students to the Palace. The additional funding awarded by the program gives their students the opportunity to experience North Carolina’s rich history with costumed interpreters, see living history demonstrations of a soldier’s life during the American Revolution, or learn about life in an 18th century river town like New Bern, through interactive exhibits. Since Palace Scholars program began in 2019, forty-five schools have received Palace Scholar Awards for a field trip. The Anonymous Trust grant will provide eastern NC Title I schools funding for sixty field trips during the 2022-2023 school year, and another sixty field trips during 2023-24.
Kathy Peterson, Tryon Palace’s Development Manager, says “Thanks to the generosity of the Anonymous Trust, we can support the efforts of Title I schools to engage students with hands-on learning in North Carolina history that reinforces the NC Standard Course of study. Many of these students have never had the opportunity to leave their home communities; the Palace Scholars Award program allows students to learn about the significance of North Carolina in the building of our nation firsthand.”
The Palace Scholars Outreach program is a new and exciting educational opportunity for Tryon Palace and eastern North Carolina schools. The program will deliver Tryon Palace’s diverse history to Title I school campuses for a “living history” classroom experience. Through the newly developed outreach program, costumed interpreters will provide engaging discussions and program materials that support the NC Standard Course of Study to the school classrooms for those Title I schools that are unable to take a field trip to Tryon Palace.
“The Public Schools of Robeson County are excited to partner with Tryon Palace. It will provide our students such a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the historical events that took place in North Carolina.” Dr. Locklear, Robeson County Schools Superintendent.
For those wishing to support the Tryon Palace Scholars program, the first challenge grant opened on September 1st. All gifts received that are restricted for the Palace Scholars program, will be matched by the Anonymous Trust. Your gifts, of any amount, will help us reach our goal of funding 60 field trips for Title I schools and 21 schools for the Palace Scholars Outreach program during the 2022-2023 school year.
For more information about this award, or how you can help Tryon Palace succeed with the challenge grant funding, please contact Kathy Peterson.
By Nancy Figiel