PAY IT FORWARD FOR THE PLANET
A program that has local companies and individuals adopt a class to come to the Edmonton Valley Zoo for a field trip, and the class pays it forward by taking on a conservation initiative that helps the planet!
In 2019 the Edmonton Valley Zoo provided 1,124 programs to over 27, 477 participants that included over 834 schools. This number was down from 2018 due to economic stresses on schools and classes. As an organization dedicated to the conservation of species, educating society about animals is our top priority and if schools and classes are unable to attend on the Zoo it affects the Zoo and society’s social license to operate.
The VZDS made a commitment to subsidize the costs of classes or the busing costs to attend at the Zoo through a program that exchanged the subsidy for a commitment by the class to take on a conservation project (either educational, virtual, fundraising or hands on) and report their findings back. The commitment to this is to provide subsidies to half of all classes attending or $100,000.
Classes will be asked to “put your conservation hats on!” The Valley Zoo Development Society will subsidize the cost of up to 200 school programs here at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. All your classroom needs to do is provide us details of a conservation project you want to explore or might already be doing! We encourage you to get creative – from spearheading a school yard clean up to eliminating single use plastics at lunch time.
1. THE FIELD TRIP
Pick a date and apply for a field trip to the Edmonton Valley Zoo through the School & Group Programs page.
Program must be booked between September – April, be made 6 weeks in advance, and be confirmed with a confirmation number. Pay it Forward Subsidy excludes Zoo School, Zoo Immersion, Virtual outreach, Sleepovers, and Self Guided Educational Kits.
2. THE SUBSIDY
Apply for a subsidy with the Valley Zoo Development Society by filling out our online application!
Your subsidy application must be submitted prior to the date of your booked program. A class/ school conservation plan is submitted in the application. One subsidy application can be submitted per class with a confirmed program at the Edmonton Valley Zoo.
3. The Conservation Initiative
Complete your conservation initiative! Simple ideas include letter writing campaigns, recycle round up events, eliminating single use plastics, clean up events, or money raising campaigns.
Take photos or videos for your follow up submission. The VZDS and/or Edmonton Valley Zoo will share your follow-up submission publicly.
4. Visit The Zoo
Come to the Zoo and learn all about the animals and the planet!
Get your students out of their seats and make the curriculum come to life! Get closer with animal encounters;Â check out some amazing artifacts and explore the Zoo as you learn about adaptations, endangered species, habitats and many other topics.
EXTRA: Teacher Resources
Here are a few resources to help inspire ideas, teach about conservation, and aid your students as they “Pay it Forward” for our planet.
CLASSES FUNDED
STUDENTS INVOLVED
COMPLETED INITIATIVES
H.W. Pickup School | Grade 7
SPONSOR: DOUG WARREN
PROJECT: REDUCING OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
Our project goals and ideas came about from our Science 7 study of ‘Interactions and Ecosystems’, specifically the positive and negative impact humans have…
Thornecliffe Elementary | Grade 1/2
SPONSOR: MELTON FOUNDATION
PROJECT: REDUCING PLASTIC WASTE
In Grade 1/2, we learned about protecting our planet by reducing plastic waste. We talked about how plastic forks and spoons harm the Earth and animals when…
Thornecliff Elementary | Grade 2
SPONSOR: CSU 52
PROJECT: KEEP THE EARTH CLEAN
Our class put together a display bulletin board where they wrote about the importance of keeping the earth clean. Our bulletin board is filled with awesome ideas…
HOW TO BECOME A SPONSOR
For $250 a company or an individual can adopt a class and start the Pay It Forward process.
We approve a class who applied for a field trip and let them know your company made it possible. We mail the class a cheque and again let them know it came from your business.  When we post our classes success stories online we also post that you or your company made it possible, and made the planet a better place!
Contact us to become a Pay It Forward For the Planet sponsor today.
HELP BUILD OUR ZOO!
It is through today’s zoos that future generations will come to a greater understanding of the human impact on the natural world and be motivated to preserve it and reverse the damage already done. Every donation, big or small, helps us revitalize our beloved Edmonton Valley Zoo! Thank you for caring for the animals, our children’s future and the planet!