Bright and early on Wednesday, July 24, a bus left from B5 Learning Center filled with eight families on their way to visit Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle for the first time. Even though they left before 7am, and many of the parents slept on the way, the kids on the bus were wide awake and excited for the day ahead.
Some of the families visited Seattle before, but none of them had ever visited the zoo before. From the moment they arrived, families were enjoying the space. One student exclaimed, “It feels like I’m walking in a jungle!”
Arthur Lopez, Refugee Youth Advocate at B5, helped plan and execute the field trip to the zoo. “It was my first time at the zoo as well,” says Arthur. “It was much bigger than I anticipated. Theses kinds of trips are incredibly memorable for our families. Many of theses families that went on the trip also arrived around the same time so that also adds another layer of community beyond that of B5’s. I’m excited to plan our next zoo trip and provide this experience to new families.”
The group spent a couple of hours at the zoo before reuniting and starting the long bus ride back to the the Tri-Cities. The bus was quiet on the way back, as everyone drifted off to sleep. Even though it was an exhausting day, it was a fun day.
B5 is grateful for Woodland Park Zoo’s commitment to making the zoo accessible to everyone. The tickets for all 50 visitors were donated through their Community Access Program, which makes a trip like this possible for our families.
