Grant expands education opportunities
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has received a grant from the National Park Foundation to expand field trips and classroom learning about the Erie Canal. The grant will bring 5,000 students to 17 canal educational sites during the 2025-26 school year and support professional development for teachers.
“This funding is critical to giving students firsthand learning experiences at National Parks and canal sites throughout the Canalway Corridor that simply would not happen otherwise. It will also enable us to educate students far beyond New York State by expanding teacher resources available online through our Erie Canal Learning Hub,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
The grant will also support collaboration between the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and Rochester-based Coordinated Care Services, Inc.’s Our Local History team to develop and offer complimentary teacher professional development. Training sessions will be offered through the network of Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in 2026.
Since 2012, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has brought more than 65,000 students from over 300 urban, suburban, and rural schools to National Parks and canal sites thanks to grants from the National Park Foundation and other supporters.
The National Park Foundation (NPF) is a nonprofit leader and catalyst in safeguarding America’s 430+ national parks and ensuring they are accessible and enjoyable — for everyone, forever. As the official nonprofit partner to the National Park Service, NPF works to conserve and preserve threatened wildlife and land, inspire the next generation of park stewards, tell the complete story of American history, and ensure a world-class visitor experience.
Curriculum materials and field trip signups are available online at the Erie Canal Learning Hub (https://eriecanalway.org/learn/teachers), a joint initiative of Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and New York State Canal Corporation.
(Students study water quality while on a field trip aboard the Riverie in Rochester. Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor will expand the number of students taking field trips thanks to a grant from the National Park Foundation).
