In July 2006, the Board of Trustees of the Society of Economic Geologists Foundation (SEGF) established the Student Field Trip (SFT) Program. The concept, as distinct from existing SEG Student Chapter funding, arose at the SEG 2006 Conference held in Keystone, Colorado, in response to a student petition to provide more support for field trips to important mining districts. (More than 100 students from around the world attended the Conference, with generous support from industry sponsors.) The petition was enthusiastically received, resulting in the establishment of a "student field trip fund" and pledges totaling $30,000 to start the fund. To date, this is one of SEGF's most popular funds as students find the direct field experience from top industry leaders and mentors extremely valuable to the development of their careers.