Funding for a program supporting drought-impacted families of public school students to go on school camps or excursions has been bolstered, following overwhelming demand from schools.

Announced earlier this year as part of a wider $73 million Drought Support Package, the initiative provides up to $250 per eligible student to attend a camp or excursion alongside their classmates.

Initially there was a commitment of $250,000, but after more than 100 schools sought financial support for more than 6000 students, the funding was tripled to $865,000.

All applications relate to camps and excursions that will take place this year that are directly linked to educational opportunities.

The additional funding supports students to participate in camps and excursions, exploring their own region or travelling to Adelaide. Some examples include:

• Limestone Coast students travelling to Adelaide to participate in the DreamBIG Children’s festival to learn about the arts.
• Riverland students travelling to the Adelaide Hills to learn about science and geography.
• Mid North students travelling to the Adelaide coastline to conduct experiments as part of a Geography field trip.
• Students from the far west travelling to the Flinders Ranges to explore a new environment, travel on the Pichi Richi Railway and complement learning through the PE, Health and Science curriculums.

While valuable for all students to participate in, students whose families are impacted by drought conditions across the state face additional challenges when organising excursions, particularly by geographic isolation which can increase travels costs.

Schools approved for funding include: