NORWICH - The continued decline in educational funding at both the state and federal levels coupled with the cost of increased curriculum mandates often leads to the lack of funding that was once available for extracurricular activities like educational field trips that were common in schools of the past.

The Northeast Classic Car Museum, located at 24 Rexford Street, recently received grant money from two local foundations to be utilized for offsetting costs associated with transportation costs, museum admission and educational supplies.

Grants from the Greater Norwich Foundation and the Otis Thompson Foundation have made it possible for the Northeast Classic Car Museum to offer no-cost educational programming to area student groups. The funding is available to schools, home-school groups, BOCES classes and community student organizations.

Museum Executive Director Robert Jeffery said, “We cannot thank the Otis Thompson and Greater Norwich Foundations enough for their generous support of the museum, its mission and of our area youth. We look forward to serving many more student groups in the coming months.”

Added Jeffery, “Without the help from the two grant programs, we would not be able to offer this program to the area students.”

One organization that has recently benefited from the educational allotment was Norwich nonprofit The Place – members of which toured the museum free of charge Friday as part of their annual fall field trip.