The Community Foundation of New Jersey has announced the launch of Field Trip New Jersey, a new fund to support opportunities for students in underserved communities to connect classroom learning with real-life experiences.

Educators at schools with 65 percent of students eligible for free and reduced lunches under the National School Lunch Program may apply for grants of up to $700 to cover transportation costs for field trips to arts and culture sites, historic landmarks, nature preserves and science institutions throughout New Jersey, as well as college campuses throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

Schools may apply now through Feb. 19 for field trips to take place between March 15 and the end of the school year (requests for later trips will be considered). Schools will be notified of the grant decision by March 9. Full grant eligibility and guidelines are at fieldtripnj.org.

Field Trip New Jersey will be administered through the Community Foundation of New Jersey, which has partnered with Dodge to commit $25,000 to launch this pilot program. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has provided an additional $15,000 grant.

More details and an application form are available online.