Thanks to the efforts of an elementary class, the polar bears at Assiniboine Park Zoo are receiving a little bit more support!

Danielle Shrumm’s Grade 3 and 4 class at Montrose School raised over $300 for the Polar Bear Rescue & Care Team as part of their annual “Mall in the Hall” event with a fully decorated polar bear cheque!

Mall in the Hall is an annual event at Montrose where students learn to create and sell their products and then donate those funds to an organization they choose. Ms. Danielle’s class learned how to work with active resin to make one-of-a-kind keychains to open their store, aptly called the Key Chain Krew.

This class, however, is involved with the Zoo in more ways than just key chains - Montrose School is one of six participating schools in this year’s Goodman School program. This residency, supported by The Bertrand A. Goodman, May Easton Goodman and Dorothy Jean Goodman Foundation, allows elementary school students to fully immerse themselves in the Zoo and The Leaf, connecting to nature and then extending that learning back to their classrooms.

As part of the program, Ms. Danielle’s class have already visited the Zoo and The Leaf numerous times and have a few more opportunities to come this school year before they present their learnings in a conservation-focused project to the other participating schools at a luncheon at The Leaf in May.

Outside the Goodman School, which has been a huge success since its inception in 2018, Assiniboine Park Conservancy works year-round through our education and outreach programs to help inform future generations on conservation and our world. This also includes the Dorothy Strelsin Polar Bear Education Program, geared for Grade 7 students to educate them on polar bears, Arctic life, and climate change.

We are so beary thankful that the students chose the Zoo and the polar bears as the recipients of all their hard work!

For more information about the Goodman School or the Dorothy Strelsin Polar Bear Education Program, please contact Kelly Ross at kross@assiniboinepark.ca.