Arboretum School Field Trip photos courtesy UW Botanic Gardens.
BY MOLLY DALESSANDRO
The Arboretum Foundation is thrilled to share that we have been awarded a Curiosity Pass Cultural Education Grant from 4Culture. The Curiosity Pass program is funded by Doors Open legislation and seeks to increase access to cultural and science programs, performances, and experiences for K–12 public school students in King County. Our $140,000 award will support school field trip programs at the Arboretum over the next two years (2026–2027).
Each year, more than 5,000 elementary and middle-school students visit the Arboretum for place-based, experiential outdoor programs. Students explore nature, collect data, and learn about the environment through lessons about plants, ecosystems, and human-plant connections. In the last year, more than 5,250 students from 229 schools participated in school programs at the Arboretum.
The Arboretum’s environmental education programs for youth and families are offered through a partnership between the Foundation and University of Washington Botanic Gardens (UWBG). Kim Daniel, UWBG’s Youth and Family Programs Supervisor, shared her excitement about how this award will support her team’s work: “Our field trip program serves thousands of students every year. This funding will help us remove barriers for many schools, providing registration scholarships, funding for transportation, and gear—like ponchos—to extend our field trip season!”
4Culture is King County’s cultural funding agency and distributes $100 million annually in Doors Open funding to arts, heritage, science, and historic preservation nonprofit organizations in the County. This is the Arboretum Foundation’s third Doors Open grant award. Two previous awards—Sustained Support and Public Free Access—provide unrestricted funding to support our core operations and further our mission to connect people with plants and nature.
The Arboretum is grateful to King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, District 2 Councilmember Rhonda Lewis, and the entire King County Council for passing this important legislation. We are especially grateful to the voters of King County for supporting this critical investment in science education
Molly Dalessandro is the Grants Manager at the Arboretum Foundation.
Take 4Culture’s Brief Survey
4Culture is gathering community perspectives on cultural access through a brief survey for King County residents. By sharing your experience, you can help increase access to cultural and science programs, support free and reduced-cost experiences, and guide future funding. The survey takes about 9 minutes to compete. TAKE THE SURVEY
Arboretum School Field Trip photos courtesy UW Botanic Gardens.
