Club awards $3K in field trip scholarships

Editor's note: Joseph Jones is a Register correspondent representing vermiliondaily.com. VERMILION — The Kiwanis Club of Vermilion recently awarded $3,000 in field trip scholarships to Vermilion students, continuing a multi-year effort to reduce financial barriers to educational travel. The funding supports two separate trips: the eighth-grade Washington, D.C., trip and a seventh-grade field trip. Each trip received $1,500, an increase from the $1,000 scholarships awarded in each of the previous two years. The scholarships were presented at the start of the club's Jan. 14 meeting. David Funk, who oversees the eighth-grade D.C. trip at Vermilion High School, accepted the check on behalf of the district. Kiwanis leaders said the increase reflects the club's growing fundraising capacity and its focus on ensuring students are not excluded from learning opportunities outside the classroom. "Our club is so happy to help kids get to go on these trips that might not otherwise be able to," said Amie Martin, president of the Kiwanis Club of Vermilion. The club hopes to continue expanding the scholarship program in future years as fundraising allows. In addition to field trip support, the Kiwanis Club of Vermilion sponsors a range of youth-focused and community initiatives throughout the year.