Field trips are high points of students' learning, but during a pandemic, many in-person programs just aren’t possible.

"Something special is happening in this community. Something special is happening in the Buffalo-Niagara region," says Mayor Byron Brown.

He is talking about a program giving tens of thousands of students the opportunity to participate in virtual field trips throughout Buffalo and Niagara Falls.

AT&T, in collaboration with the Albright-Know Art Gallery, Buffalo Museum of Science, Explore & More – The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum, Buffalo History Museum, and the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, are making this possible, in a time when in-person interactions are limited because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

"While the kids in our community cannot get out to these cultural institutions that help to define our community, the partnership that has been created today will help to give back and ensure that our children continue to grow and get that world-class education and that experience that they would get not dealing with the pandemic," says Senator Tim Kennedy.

The program provides options for a wide range of ages, from first through 12th grades. Everything is free for all students and classes attending Buffalo or Niagara public or charter schools and Western New York Title 1 schools. 

"We have each really struggled with figuring how we can still offer the important programming that we provide. We can’t do it in our facilities. For AT&T to come in with the resources and generate the collaborate effort to make virtual field trips possible is a tremendous asset," says Marisa Wigglesworth, Buffalo Museum of Science president.

Programs include downloadable content for teachers and interactive kits for kids, with prerecorded material and live virtual tours. This is all made possible because of a $75,000 contribution from AT&T.

To learn about all of the details and how to participate, click here.