Zoo field trips get boost from KinderCare Education

Renewed sponsorship supports conservation education for Portland-area students

KinderCare Education has once again signed on as presenting sponsor for Oregon Zoo field trips and Title 1 programming, helping to provide inspiring conservation and wildlife education opportunities for children in the Portland region.

Field trips have become a tradition for many schools, and the zoo sees these visits as a key opportunity to empower students to be active and engaged stewards of the earth's wildlife and ecosystems. Each year, the zoo partners with schools to provide educational experiences for children on site, and partners with teachers to help build environmental literacy into classroom curriculums.

The zoo has expanded access to educational opportunities with its Title 1 program, funded by the Oregon Zoo Foundation with admission price matching from the zoo. This program offers free field trips, a transportation stipend to get to the zoo and in-school educational programming for Title 1 third-grade classes in the Portland area. All grades at Title 1 schools receive discounted field trip admission, as well.

"The Oregon Zoo Foundation is thrilled with KinderCare Education's sponsorship, which enables the zoo to offer these great programs to more children across the region," said foundation director Julie Fitzgerald. "Giving more children the opportunity to have firsthand experiences with wildlife as they learn about nature and science is one of the best results of this program, and we could not do it without our sponsors and donors."

"KinderCare Education and the Oregon Zoo share a common passion for helping to inspire confidence in children and igniting their curiosity about the world around them," said Dr. Elanna Yalow, KinderCare Education's chief academic officer. "We are thrilled to join with the Oregon Zoo to provide educational opportunities for children and create memories that can last a lifetime."