WYPR Interview with CEO Julia Baez: Field Trip Fridays

Listen to the interview (starts at 15:35)

Visit Councilmember’s Cohen site for a list of activities

Field Trip Fridays is a collaboration between Councilmember Zeke Cohen, Baltimore’s Promise, and the Fund for Educational Excellence, with support from the Open Society Institute. Summer school in Baltimore City Schools is held Monday-Thursday so Field Trip Fridays will allow youth to stay busy and visit attractions they might otherwise not. Youth-serving community partners can apply for free tickets to various cultural sites throughout Baltimore for Friday field trips throughout the summer, or obtain a $1,500 grant to fund a field trip.

The goal is to complete 100 field trips on Fridays to places like the Maryland Science Center, National Aquarium, Maryland Zoo and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture.

"What we really focus on is making sure kids in Baltimore have the right set of resources and opportunities to be who they want to be. Summer is an incredibly important time for young people when you think about accessing those opportunities," said Julia Baez, CEO of Baltimore's Promise.

The tickets, along with some meals and transportation, are funded through education grants. While each institution will handle things differently, most expect to require some type of city schools ID or other identification to ensure that the program is targeting the intended Baltimore City youth.