Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Receives National Park Foundation Grant to Expand Education Programs

WATERFORD, NY— Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has received a grant from the National Park Foundation to expand field trips and classroom learning about the Erie Canal. The grant will bring 5,000 students to 17 canal educational sites during the 2025-26 school year and support professional development for teachers.

“This funding is critical to giving students firsthand learning experiences at National Parks and canal sites throughout the Canalway Corridor that simply would not happen otherwise. It will also enable us to educate students far beyond New York State by expanding teacher resources available online through our Erie Canal Learning Hub,” said Bob Radliff, Executive Director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

The grant will also support collaboration between Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and Rochester-based Coordinated Care Services, Inc.’s Our Local History team to develop and offer complimentary teacher professional development. Training sessions will be offered through the network of Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in 2026.

Since 2012, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has brought more than 65,000 students from over 300 urban, suburban, and rural schools to National Parks and canal sites thanks to grants from the National Park Foundation and other supporters.

The National Park Foundation (NPF) is a nonprofit leader and catalyst in safeguarding America’s 430+ national parks and ensuring they are accessible and enjoyable — for everyone, forever. As the official nonprofit partner to the National Park Service, NPF works to conserve and preserve threatened wildlife and land, inspire the next generation of park stewards, tell the complete story of American history, and ensure a world-class visitor experience.

Curriculum materials and field trip signups are available online at the Erie Canal Learning Hub, a joint initiative of Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and New York State Canal Corporation.

ABOUT THE ERIE CANALWAY NATIONAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR

Nearly 200 years after its construction, the Erie Canal remains an iconic symbol of American ingenuity and determination. The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor works to preserve the Nation’s extraordinary canal heritage, promote the Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and foster vibrant communities connected by more than 500 miles of waterway. It achieves its mission in partnership with the National Park Service, New York State agencies, non-profit organizations, local residents, and more than 200 communities across the full expanse of upstate New York. Learn more at www.eriecanalway.org.

Ticket to Ride Field Trip Sites

• Arkell Museum at Canajoharie, Canajoharie
• Camillus Erie Canal Park, Camillus
• Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum, Chittenango
• Cornhill Navigation/Riverie & Sam Patch Boat Tours, Rochester/Pittsford
• Erie Canal Discovery Center, Lockport
• Erie Canal Museum, Syracuse
• Feeder Canal & Towpath Trail, Hudson Falls
• Fort Stanwix National Monument, Rome
• Historic Palmyra, Palmyra
• MiSci, Schenectady
• Oneida Community Mansion House, Oneida
• Rochester Museum & Science Center, Rochester
• Saratoga National Historical Park, Stillwater
• Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, Fort Hunter
• Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry, Seneca Falls
• Stephen and Harriet Myers Residence, Albany (Underground Railroad story)
• Women’s Rights National Historical Park, Seneca Falls