‘Abbott Elementary’ star Quinta Brunson launches fund to provide free field trips to thousands of Philly students

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“Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson is teaming up with the School District of Philadelphia to create a fund to provide free school trips to students.

The Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund launched on Giving Tuesday and will raise money to provide free field trips for schools, giving students from underserved communities greater access to out-of-classroom experiences, according to a release.

In a statement, Brunson, a Philadelphia native, said field trips were some of the most memorable parts of her education growing up.

“They opened my world, sparked my creativity, and helped me imagine a future beyond what I saw every day,” Brunson said. “Going somewhere new shows you that the world is bigger and more exciting than you believe, and it can shape what you come to see as achievable.”

The fund aims to eliminate the costs associated with field trips for more than 117,000 students in Philadelphia’s public schools and will focus on the city’s vast network of museums and landmarks.

“I’m proud to support Philadelphia students with experiences that remind them their dreams are valid and their futures are bright,” Brunson said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Brunson was awarded a key to the city at her former elementary school, Andrew Hamilton School, in West Philadelphia. She said the school and a retired teacher there were the inspiration for her Emmy Award-winning series.

Brunson also donated $25,000 to the school district’s Groceries for Good program for students experiencing food insecurity.

According to the National Education Association, children who take school trips have better grades, higher high school and college graduation rates, and tend to earn a higher income once they complete their education.