LACKAWANNA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Learning doesn't just happen in the classroom, and one local organization wants to make sure kids in Western New York are getting opportunities to expand their minds through field trips.
Get Out and About is a 501(c)(3)created last year by Buffalo native and Canisius MBA student Britney Upshaw. Upshaw says she saw some students were missing out on opportunities like field trips because of financial issues and wanted to make sure they were able to have those important experiences.
"We saw there was a decline in school field trips recently, and I thought part of the reason was higher transportation costs and higher admission costs. So we figured why not make an organization that will fund field trips for kids?" she explained. "So there doesn't have to be a cost to the family, and kids can get out and about in WNY and get to experience the community without the burden of cost."
So far, the group has sponsored two trips for local kids. The first was for kids in an after-school program to visit Parkside Candy and get ice cream with their friends. The second was to take middle school students from Lackawanna to see the Harlem Globetrotters when they came to the KeyBank Center.
The student's teacher, Simmone Johnson, reached out to Get Out and About to see if the group could help cover the cost for her students.
"They need real-life experiences that they can carry with them. Things they've never seen before. Which was so important for our younger students," Johnson explained. "They were in absolute amazement when we got to the arena because some of them have never been!"
The students said they loved the experience.
"They do funny stuff. They joke around because they already know they're gonna win," said 7th grade student Fatima Sow.
Fatima said she had fun at the game, but had an even better time spending time with the other students - and her teachers - outside of school
"You're with them and having fun with them at the field trip - so you have more fun with them and get a bond together," she explained.
The students say it's so important to get out of school and experience things, and they're hoping other kids get the same opportunities.
"If you don't go to fun places it can affect your mental health. It's important to have that little mental break" said 6th grade student Adama Sow. "Because sometimes you have to have a little fun."
Get Out and About is hoping to sponsor more field trips across Western New York, and is looking for more schools and educators to reach out.
"A lot of families can't afford to regularly go to these places. So at least the kids are experiencing that regardless of their income at home," said Upshaw. "It builds these amazing experiences that people remember for the rest of their lives."
Johnson says that was the case with her students, and she knows the trip they took together will stay with them for years to come.
"We may think it's something simple but it is life-changing for most of them," she explained.
Get Out and About is having a fundraiser next month to raise more money for kids to go on trips. The group is holding a Super Hero Breakfast at Classics V on April 13th, and you can find all the information and buy tickets here.
