School Field Trips and Outreaches
Please refer to our COVID-19 Policies for details about our safety procedures for each program. Protocols are subject to change and may vary with program type. If you have any questions about our COVID-19 policies or programs, please contact our office at education@animalcenter.org 858-756.4117 x318.
We can also provide these programs virtually at a reduced price! Click here to learn more.
School Program with Helen Woodward Animal Center!
Interacting with animals is a fun and unique way for students to learn about the world around them. We offer a variety of programs that give kids in San Diego the chance to meet cute critters while learning lessons that complement their grade level’s NGSS and incorporate STEM.
Year-round field trips to the Center or outreaches to your classroom are offered for preschool, elementary, middle and high school classes. Call us at 858-756-4117 ext. 318 or email education@animalcenter.org to book a program!
School Program Information
Grades/Ages: Preschool–High School
Field Trip Cost: $14.95 per child for 90 minutes OR $11.95 for 60 minutes ($75 minimum)
Outreach Cost: $260 per class for 90 minutes OR $215 for 60 minutes ($75 minimum)
*Adult chaperones are admitted free of charge for the purpose of supervising children at a ratio of 1:5. Extra chaperones are $5 each.
Details: 90-minute programs include interactions with 4 animals plus a STEM activity.
60-minute programs include interactions with 3 animals plus a STEM activity OR interactions with 4 animals and no activity.
Field Trips and Outreaches may meet some different animals in the same lesson due to the travel capacity for certain species. Details are explained below with the lesson descriptions. Species and activities may vary depending on animal health, safety and availability.
Lesson Details
Preschool and Elementary School Lessons All Grades: “Remember Me Thursday®” –Discuss pet overpopulation and how we can make positive change for orphan pets by remembering pet adoption. We encourage your class to celebrate with Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Remember Me Thursday® event in September! Field Trips will meet a dog, parrot, guinea pig, and goat. Outreaches will meet a dog, parrot, guinea pig, and box turtle. Preschool and Kindergarten: “Plants and Paws” – Understand the needs of plants and animals and how they’re connected to each other and their environment. Field Trips will meet a dog, rabbit, chicken, and sheep. Outreaches will meet a dog, rabbit, dove or pigeon, and millipede. 1st Grade:“The Wonderful World of Animals” – Discover the different ways animals interact with the world and why these interactions vary depending on the species. Field Trips will meet a parrot, guinea pig, bearded dragon, and mini donkey. Outreaches will meet a parrot, guinea pig, bearded dragon, and Madagascar hissing cockroach. 2nd Grade: “Home is Where the Heart Is” – Explore different habitats and discover the types of animals that live in each one. Field Trips will meet an alpaca, snake or leopard gecko, parrot, and hermit crab. Outreaches will meet a chinchilla, leopard gecko, parrot, and hermit crab. 3rd Grade: “Learning about Life Cycles” – Investigate the many unique life cycles of animals and why it is appropriate for their environment. Field Trips will meet a bearded dragon or blue-tongued skink, frog, dog, and chicken. Outreaches will meet a bearded dragon or blue-tongued skink, frog, dog, and pigeon. 4th Grade: “The Senses of Survival” – Dive into the animal world where our five senses have gone wild and learn how animals perceive the world. It can be similar to the way that we do, or it can be very different! Field Trips will meet a snake, Madagascar hissing cockroach, rabbit, and parrot. Outreaches will meet a snake, Madagascar hissing cockroach, rabbit, and parrot. 5th Grade: “You Are What You Eat” – Explore the food web and how everything in our ecological community is connected. Field Trips will meet a snake, rabbit, dove or pigeon, and Madagascar hissing cockroach. Outreaches will meet a snake, rabbit, dove or pigeon, and Madagascar hissing cockroach. Species and activities may vary depending on animal health, safety and availability.
Middle School Lessons All Grades: “Remember Me Thursday®” –Discuss pet overpopulation and how we can make positive change for orphan pets by remembering pet adoption. We encourage your class to celebrate with Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Remember Me Thursday® event in September! Field Trips will meet a dog, parrot, guinea pig, and goat. Outreaches will meet a dog, parrot, guinea pig, and box turtle. 6th Grade: “System Overload” –Understand the way that animals have adapted, or failed to adapt, to the environmental changes that humans have created with the growth of civilization. Discuss ways we can improve our energy usage and be more aware of our actions on the ecosystem. Field Trips will meet a frog, duck, mini horse, and California desert tortoise. Outreaches will meet a frog, pigeon, dog, and California desert tortoise. 7th Grade: “We’re All in This Together” – Discuss some of the ways that people impact the world around them and what we can do to provide positive change. Field Trips will meet a blue-tongue skink, millipede, rabbit, and parrot. Outreaches will meet a blue-tongued skink, millipede, rabbit, and parrot. 8th Grade: “Diversity by Design” – Classify animals into different groups based on their external characteristics and understand how this isn’t the only method. Plus, understand how even animals in different classifications can have similarities. Field Trips will meet a parrot, hermit crab, frog, and guinea pig. Outreaches will meet a parrot, hermit crab, frog and guinea pig. Species and activities may vary depending on animal health, safety and availability.
High School Lessons All Grades: “Remember Me Thursday®” –Discuss pet overpopulation and how we can make positive change for orphan pets by remembering pet adoption. We encourage your class to celebrate with Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Remember Me Thursday® event in September! Field Trips will meet a dog, parrot, guinea pig, and goat. Outreaches will meet a dog, parrot, guinea pig, and box turtle. 9th–12th Grades: “Biodiversity and Beyond” – Analyze how organisms maintain life through diversity and how they adapt to their surroundings. Field Trips will meet a hermit crab, snake, parrot, and alpaca. Outreaches will meet a hermit crab, snake, parrot, and chinchilla. 9th–12th Grades: “Wild at Work” – Most people think of veterinarians when they think about careers with critters, but there are so many options out there! Discover all the unique careers that allow you to work with animals! Field Trips will meet a dog, rabbit, mini horse, and parrot. Outreaches will meet a dog, rabbit, snake, and parrot. Species and activities may vary depending on animal health, safety and availability.
Feel free to call us at 858-756-4117 ext. 318 or email education@animalcenter.org with any questions.
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