K-C Commits $500,000 to Help Fund School Field Trips

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Kimberly-Clark, Dallas, Texas, USA, has announced that its Kleenex Brand facial tissues is committing $500,000 to help fund an important component of children's education—school field trips. K-C notes that field trips offer experiential learning in real-world settings, and they have always been a favorite school activity for kids who like to stay on-the-go.

According to the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, hands-on activities outside of the classroom, such as field trips, are one of the most effective ways to engage youth ages 12 through 17. Unfortunately, however, one in four schools in the U.S. is being forced to cut or even eliminate field trips due to budget cuts, according to a 2009 survey conducted by the American Association of School Administrators.

To help fill the gap, K-C is committing half a million dollars to help schools across America keep field trips as a part of the educational curriculum. The brand is inviting parents, teachers, and others to help their schools win a share of the cash by participating in the online sweepstakes program.

The Kleenex brand Back to School Sweepstakes will award 100 schools a $5,000 award to be used toward field trips during the 2011 – 2012 school year. Starting this month, consumers can enter the sweepstakes by vuisiting the sweepstakes’ Facebook site.

The top 100 U.S. schools that finish with the most votes will receive a $5,000 award. Voting ends on September 14. The winning schools will be notified on or around September 15.