Safari Camp Scholarship Program
Program will provide a weeklong Safari Camp experience for 60 underprivileged children.
Zoo Atlanta will broaden community access to its signature summer camp experience with the return of the Safari Camp Scholarship Program presented by Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority. Offered for the fourth year in a row in 2019, the program will provide a week of Safari Camp: Summer Session for 60 children ages 5 to 11 from Title I Schools in the City of Atlanta and Fulton County.
“The opportunity to see, connect with, and learn about animals firsthand is an early-life experience that has no substitute. It is essential to Zoo Atlanta’s mission that we make these connections and experiences accessible to everyone,” said Raymond B. King, President and CEO. “We are grateful to our partners at Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority for their commitment that enables us to offer this important opportunity to the children of our community for a fourth year.”
The scholarships will offer Safari Camp tuition for a weeklong session; daily lunch and snacks; a Camp T-shirt; and extended care options. To qualify, children must be current residents of the City of Atlanta or Fulton County, must attend a Title I School, and must qualify for the free or reduced lunch program at school.
Parents or guardians interested in applying should submit a completed application, available now at zooatlanta.org/scholarship. Applications must be accompanied by a letter of need from the guardian and a letter of interest from the child. Application materials may be submitted via email to education@zooatlanta.org or via regular mail to Zoo Atlanta Education; 800 Cherokee Avenue, S.E.; Atlanta, Georgia 30315. Applications are due by 5:30 p.m. on May 6, 2019, and will be reviewed and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Awardees will be notified on or after May 20, 2019.
Zoo Atlanta is a statewide resource for both formal and informal education in Georgia, serving 91,229 students and more than 27,000 program participants in 2018. In addition to Safari Camp, which takes place year-round during school breaks, education programs include but are not limited to Adventure Cubs, Nature Play Club, Keeper for a Day, NightCrawler overnights, Twilight Trek and ZooMobile outreach. The Zoo also offers inquiry-based classroom programs and field trips, professional learning opportunities for educators and a wealth of other resources that support STEM curriculum at all grade levels.
Safari Camp: Summer Session begins May 28 and runs weekly through August 2, 2019. Programs offer an immersive experience that builds lasting connections between campers and the natural world with Zoo tours, science-based explorations, animal encounters, educational games and more. Themes change weekly and are designed and structured by age group for 4-year-olds to 14-year-olds. Visit zooatlanta.org to learn more about Safari Camp and other education programs at Zoo Atlanta.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Rachel Davis
Director of Communications
rdavis@zooatlanta.org
404.624.2812 – office
404.309.2238 – cell
Gavin Johnson
Public Relations and Communications Specialist
404.624.5980 – office
gjohnson@zooatlanta.org
About Zoo Atlanta
Viewed as one of the finest zoological institutions in the U.S. and a proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Zoo Atlanta has a mission to inspire value and preservation of wildlife through a unique mix of education and outdoor family experiences. From well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, the Zoo offers memorable close encounters with more than 1,000 animals from around the world. Zoo highlights include giant pandas, including Ya Lun and Xi Lun, a set of twins born to Lun Lun on September 3, 2016; one of North America’s largest zoological populations of great apes; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Scaly Slimy Spectacular: The Amphibian and Reptile Experience, featuring more than 70 species in a 111,000 square-foot complex, is the world’s first LEED Gold-certified reptile and amphibian exhibit. The Zoo’s newest experience, Treetop Trail presented by Kaiser Permanente, opened in March 2017. Up-close-and-personal animal experiences include behind-the-scenes Wild Encounters with African elephants, African lions, Aldabra giant tortoises, lemurs and giant pandas. Zoo Atlanta is open year-round with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife presentations, education programs and special events run year-round. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.
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