SEATTLE - Thanks to Seattle voters, schools in the city will have an exciting opportunity to visit Woodland Park Zoo entirely free - admission, transportation and parking - under School-to-Zoo, a new educational adventure for qualified Seattle community schools. The program is made possible by last fall’s passage of the $198.2 million ProParks levy.

Seattle schools with 45% or more of their students participating in the free- and reduced-rate lunch program, or equivalent scholarship levels, qualify for School-to-Zoo. This means free zoo admission for students, teachers and chaperones, parking and reimbursed transportation to the zoo. “Thanks to strong community support, we have the opportunity to partner with Seattle public schools to provide additional educational opportunities, like School-to-Zoo,” said zoo Director Mike Waller. “These vital levy dollars help us keep the zoo and its education resources as accessible to the entire community,” adds Waller, “it is much more than just a field trip.”.

Qualifying Seattle schools can participate in School-to-Zoo now through the end of March 2002. Schools have the option of visiting the zoo on their own or arranging for one of the zoo’s staff-led programs such as weather and organisms, plant growth and development, or ecosystems. Schools may also opt to schedule a zoo outreach program to come to their school: Forest Explorers - Branching Out for second graders, SOAR (Save Our Amazing Raptors) field research program for high school students and the award-winning Wild Wise for middle schoolers. Each of these zoo programs provides curriculum to help teachers meet the mandated Essential Academic Learning Requirements and the state’s environmental education mandate. School-to-Zoo will be offered annually for the next seven years.

The $198.2 million ProParks levy will fund more than 100 projects and programs throughout the city over the next eight years including $2.5 million a year allotted for zoo education, low-income school programs, animal care, and security and emergency medical response staff. The citywide levy also will fund improvements to athletic fields, playgrounds, trails, community centers and parks, increase green spaces and enhance park maintenance.