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Museums’ school transportation reimbursement program resumes

Museums’ school transportation reimbursement program resumes

CARSON CITY, Nevada – A pilot program from the 2017 Legislature designed to help Nevada schools cover the cost of transporting students to any of the seven state museums was successful enough in its first two years to emerge from the 2019 Legislature with at least two more years of operation.

Now it’s a matter of making sure every public elementary, middle and secondary school is aware of the program that provides educators with the ability to request both a school tour and reimbursement for bus transportation in a single, web-based transaction.

Educators select the museum they want their students to visit and submit the form on that museum’s website. The program applies only to the seven Nevada State Museums – Nevada State Museum Carson City, Nevada State Museum Las Vegas, Lost City Museum, Nevada Historical Society, Nevada State Railroad Museum Boulder City, Nevada State Railroad Museum Carson City and the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum. Their websites can all be accessed via www.nvculture.org/museums/.

Visiting the museums gives students an opportunity to experience Nevada’s history with inquiry-based learning through artifacts, exhibits and other content, said Peter Barton, administrator of the Nevada Division of Museums and History.

“Museums provide that authentic content,” Barton said. “We make it real. It can be abstract when it’s read in a book, but when you come in and hear the stories and see those artifacts, it makes it real.”

While the school bus transportation program was envisioned as a way to get 4th-grade students into the geographically nearest Nevada State museum, consideration will be given to providing the transportation offset funding for other than 4th-grade students and other than the nearest State museum so long as funding is available.

Requests should be made no less than 20 days prior to the desired date for your tour. More information on the program is available by contacting the Division at (775) 687-7340, ext 301