Plaza Elementary School Student Takes Second Place in America250 Nationwide Contest
New York, NY – Today, America250, the official nonpartisan entity charged by Congress with planning the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, announced the inaugural cohort of “America’s Field Trip” awardees. America’s Field Trip is a new, nationwide scholastic contest encouraging students to reflect on what America means to them, with first-place awardees taking part in special experiences at iconic American historical and cultural sites, and second-place awardees receiving $500 cash awards. The contest will continue in 2025 and 2026, with next year’s contest launching this September.
Thousands of students from states and territories across the country submitted incredible entries in response to the prompt “What does America mean to you?” Out of those submissions, 150 first and second awardees hailing from 44 states and territories were selected by a panel of current and former educators. The list of inaugural awardees can be found below, and their submissions can be found online here: america250.org/fieldtrip/awardees
First-place awardees will choose from the following unique and unforgettable field trip experiences this summer:
- Tour of the Statue of Liberty in New York
- Tour and hike at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Montana
- Weekend at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado
- Unique tours at the National Archives and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC
- Special tours at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, National Museum of African American History and Culture, or the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC
- Explore America’s iconic financial capital, New York City, with private tours of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Museum and Learning Center and the New York Headquarters of BNY, the country’s oldest bank
- Experience National Parks of Boston with a special visit to the USS Constitution and a sunset cruise to Spectacle Island
- Candlelight tour at Fort Point at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge
- Costumed roleplaying experience at American Village in Alabama
“We’re thrilled to announce the first-ever America’s Field Trip awardees – 75 incredible students from across the country who will now embark on transformative field trip experiences where they’ll experience history outside of the classroom,” said America250 Chair, Rosie Rios. “We’re grateful for all of the students, teachers, and families who engaged around America’s Field Trip – one of the first big steps on our long journey together to the Semiquincentennial. As we advance toward July 4th, 2026, America’s Field Trip will only get bigger, engaging thousands of students around our collective history and giving them a platform to actively participate in envisioning our future.”
America250 announced America’s Field Trip in cooperation with BNY, a global financial services company that played a pivotal role in the development, growth, and rise of the United States for 240 years. “The meaningful experiences these students will gain beyond the classroom by visiting iconic American sites will inspire them and all the lives they touch to advance the nation’s long history of innovation,” said Jayee Koffey, Global Head of Enterprise Execution and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for BNY. “We congratulate these students and their families and are honored to be part of their journey.”