Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

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Organization Name: Explore Foundation
Legal Name (if Different): Explore Educational Funding Foundation
Also Known As: Explore
Mailing Address: 5320 Round Prairie St.
City: Shawnee
State: Kansas
Postal Code: 66226
Main Phone: 913-269-4539
Main Fax:
Organization Website: https://explorefoundation.org/
Employer ID Number: 88-2189825
Organization Tax Status: Explore Foundation is a certified non-profit 501(c)(3) since June 17, 2022

Proposal Information

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Today’s Date: 03/19/2026
Requested Amount: $5,000

Project Title: Field Trips for All (FTFA)
Project Description:

Field Trips for All (FTFA) is Explore Foundation’s flagship and sole program, created to ensure that children and youth in under-resourced schools can access the kind of real-world learning experiences too often reserved for more affluent communities. Founded in 2022, Explore is the only nonprofit in the Kansas City region solely dedicated to fully funding and coordinating equitable, curriculum-aligned field trips. Through FTFA, students do not simply leave the classroom for a day; they encounter science, history, art, nature, financial literacy, and civic life in ways that make learning tangible, memorable and deeply human.

FTFA is built on the simple but powerful idea that teachers know what their students need. Educators propose experiences connected to classroom goals and curriculum, and Explore removes the barriers that would otherwise make those opportunities impossible by covering admissions, transportation, and related access costs while also helping coordinate logistics. This support is especially critical in Title I schools, where field trips are often among the first learning opportunities cut from already-stretched budgets.

In 2024/2025 alone, FTFA supported 40 field trips for 3,263 students across 25 schools in 11 districts. Seventy-six percent of schools served were Title I, 59.1% of participating students qualified for free or reduced-price meals, 30.2% were English Language Learners, and 16.3% were students with disabilities. Teachers consistently report stronger engagement, greater confidence, and deeper connections between classroom content and students’ lives after these experiences.

FTFA is more than a field trip fund; it is a practical, equity-centered model for helping young people discover possibility, belonging, and future pathways. Since launch, Explore has grown from serving 926 students in 2022/2023 to 3,263 in 2024/2025, demonstrating both extraordinary demand and proof of concept. With continued investment, FTFA holds enormous potential to scale far beyond Kansas City as a replicable nationwide model for educational access and child development.

Total Project Budget: $47,325

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): $15, 500 COMMITTED (Farmer’s Insurance, Union Home Mortgage Found., Overland Park South Rotary Club & various local Walmart/Sam’s store through Spark Good); $24,500 in pending/submitted applications currently;

Project Duration: Annually August 1 through May 31 (Academic calendar)
Geographical Area Served: Greater Kansas City (14-county region)
Age Group To Be Served: 5 to 18 years (K-12th grade)

Contact Information

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Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Mr.
Contact First Name: James
Contact Last Name: Farnen
Contact Title: Director of Development
Contact Phone: 785-304-7137
Contact Email: development@explorefoundation.org