ECDC participates in ticket to ride program

An $8,000 grant from the National Park Foundation to the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor through the “Ticket to Ride” program will enable 1,472 students from 27 schools in eight school districts across New York state to participate in educational field trips along the Erie Canal this fall.

The program provides financial resources for transportation and on-site educational programming that make field trips to national parks and heritage areas possible for schools across the country. In Lockport, 575 fourth graders from the Niagara Falls Central School District will tour the Historic Flight of Five Locks and visit the Erie Canal Discovery Center, a partner site with the National Heritage Corridor.

Melissa Dunlap, Executive Director of Niagara County Historical Society, which operates the Discovery Center said this is a wonderful opportunity for students who might not otherwise experience the Erie Canal.

“Now when students learn about the Erie Canal in books they will be able to visualize the locks at Lockport and how they work,” she said.

Carol Gold, Niagara Falls Central School District Administrator for Curriculum and Instruction said the school district is excited to participate.

“This experiential learning experience will lend itself to the integration of curriculum areas, melding social studies with English language arts and affording students reading, writing, listening and speaking opportunities to internalize learning and create lasting memories,” said Gold.

In addition to Ticket To Ride funding, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor secured an additional $5,000 from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) to enhance the field trip program.

“Students across the state have tremendous Erie Canal historic sites from Buffalo to Albany, but the cost of bringing students to them has become prohibitive for many districts,” said Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Executive Director Beth Sciumeca. “This grant removes that barrier so that students can experience firsthand the innovation and impact of the Erie Canal.”

The Niagara Falls School District visits to the Erie Canal Discovery Center and Flight of Five will take place Nov. 14 through 16.