Field trips available at no cost to Kent County schools thanks to community support

 As school gets back in session, it’s the perfect time for Kent County schools and educators to sign up for free field trips and dynamic educational programming at John Ball Zoo. Non-Kent County schools receive a deep discount of $5 per student.

 

The Zoo is excited to welcome back students with field trips and immersive educational experiences that highlight the conservation of wildlife and wild places. Zoo admission is free of charge for Kent County students thanks to the overwhelming passage of the 2016 millage that supports operations and education at the Zoo. The Zoo directly supports environmental and conservation literacy by offering free admission to more than 119,900 Kent County students since the passage of the 2016 millage. Other school groups outside of Kent County and homeschooling families receive discounted admission.

 

"We are so grateful to our community for making these engaging and hands-on experiences possible for our local students, and we’re excited to welcome back teachers and students this fall to the Zoo,” said Rhiannon Mulligan, director of conservation and education at John Ball Zoo. “We love connecting students to wildlife and sparking a love for nature and conservation that we hope they will carry with them throughout their lives. We hope that these trips inspire children to help protect wild places and animals in their own communities and beyond.” 

 

Programming options include:

  • On-site field trips that are self-guided
  • Exciting add-on educational programs like live animal presentations, Penguineering, and 3D modeling of exhibit designs
  • Free online resources are available to any educator to use while visiting the Zoo
  • Tailored curriculum that works for varying grade levels

A special highlight this fall is the limited-time Power of Pollinators traveling exhibit. This interactive collection of pollinators highlights the power of some of the smallest members of the animal world and their incredible impact on our ecosystems. The Zoo has free resources for teachers as they tour the exhibits and plenty of room for groups to spread out and interact with more than 20 animatronic pollinators, some of them climbable.

 

Teachers and educators can book experiences by visiting the John Ball Zoo Field Trip Registration page. Special programming is open to schools and any educational group of 15 or more students. You can also learn more about other ways to tailor your visit with interactive add-ons such as live animal presentations and habitat engineering.  

 

 

 

 

For more information about field trips and educational programming, or to book a visit, please visit the Zoo’s website.