Catholic School Students from Over 160 Area Schools to Receive Fully Funded Visits to the Museum of the American Revolution

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia Office for Communications 
shares the information below on behalf of 
the Connelly Foundation.

Grant Announced to Celebrate Catholic Schools Week and Honor America’s 250^th

In recognition of Catholic Schools Week (January 26-January 30), the Connelly Foundation announced yesterday on “Celebrating Our Nation” Day, a unique opportunity for Archdiocese of Philadelphia schools, Independence Mission Schools, and private independent Catholic schools to commemorate the nation’s semiquincentennial with visits to the Museum of the American Revolution, experiencing history in the nation’s birthplace.

The initiative will offer one grade per school a fully funded trip to the museum, with travel and admission covered. Students will have access to the museum’s permanent exhibits as well as The Declaration’s Journey exhibition, which honors the 250^th anniversary of the nation’s founding by exploring “the history and global impact of the Declaration of Independence from 1776 to today.”

The field trips will be funded by the Connelly Foundation and are available to Catholic elementary schools and high schools within the Philadelphia region, including the over 160 schools across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Schools, Independence Mission Schools, and private independent Catholic schools.

“Catholic Schools Week is about celebrating faith, learning, and the formation of young people, and there is no better place to do that than in Philadelphia, where our nation’s story began,” said Tom Riley, president of the Connelly Foundation. “By fully funding these museum visits, we’re giving students the opportunity to engage directly with the ideals that shaped our country—and to see themselves as part of the ongoing American experiment as we celebrate the 250^th anniversary of our nation’s founding.”

This offering complements the existing Connelly Access Program which for over 30 years has been connecting cultural organizations with an enthusiastic audience of Catholic elementary school students. Each year, the Foundation awards funding to Catholic schools in Philadelphia, which they can use to book field trips, assemblies, and workshops for students grade 4-8. There are 48 Catholic elementary schools  that participate in the program. Over 20 cultural organizations partner in the program, including the Museum of the American Revolution, which has been a CAP provider since 2018.

“This initiative brings classroom learning to life in a powerful and memorable way,” said Jay DeFruscio, Chief Operating Officer of Archdiocese of Philadelphia Secondary Schools. “Thanks to the generosity of the Connelly Foundation, our students will be able to experience our nation’s history firsthand—deepening their understanding of civic responsibility, faith, and the values that continue to guide our schools and communities.”

“We are honored to welcome students from Catholic schools across the region as they explore the people, ideas, and events that shaped our nation,” said R. Scott Stephenson, Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of the American Revolution. “These visits offer students a meaningful opportunity to connect the past to the present, especially through our Declaration’s Journey exhibition, as Philadelphia prepares to mark America’s 250^th anniversary.”

The Museum of the American Revolution has been a grantee of the Connelly Foundation since 2013. The Foundation was also a funder of The Declaration’s Journey exhibition.

As the administrator of the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial, the Foundation and its partners are supporting Philadelphia-area programs celebrating the 250^th anniversary of the nation’s founding and developing enriching experiences that bring America’s history to life for the next generation.

Each school may select which grade will participate, with visits taking place throughout the 2026 calendar year. Booking instructions will be shared with schools soon. https://www.amrevmuseum.org/

About the Connelly Foundation

The Connelly Foundation was founded in 1955 by John and Josephine Connelly. John Connelly achieved remarkable business success as president of Connelly Containers and later Crown Cork and Seal, both manufacturing companies based in Philadelphia. He and his wife Josephine, strongly motivated by their Catholic faith and their love for the Philadelphia region, dedicated their good fortune to helping others. Over the past 70 years, the Connelly Foundation has donated more than $500 million to nonprofit organizations in the Philadelphia area focusing on education, human services, the arts, and civic life. The Foundation has always placed a particular emphasis on Catholic education, having invested $134 million in Catholic education since its inception. Thousands of Philadelphia-area students have attended Catholic high schools through the Foundation’s Neumann Scholars and Josephine C. Connelly scholarship programs. For more information, visit www.connellyfdn.org.

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Editor’s Note: For more information, visit https://www.connellyfdn.org/.

Contact: McHalea Beck
mbeck@devinepartners.com
610-283-9641 (m)