Students from around Wyoming visit WDC

Last Friday, 145 students, family members and teachers from Connections Academy attended a field trip to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. It was the first field trip for the group since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group was so large that Wyoming Dinosaur Center Paleontologist, Jack Turnball, gave a talk in the main exhibit room to everyone to accommodate, followed by self-guided exploration of the museum or scavenger hunt.  

Attendees enjoyed their time at the Center, and some traveled as far as Evanston and Cheyenne to attend the trip. 

Field trips are an important part of online education, offering not only a chance to learn outside of the virtual classroom, but also the opportunity to socialize with their fellow classmates and teachers. Field trips can bring one dimensional educational lessons  to life and create passion for students and teachers to learn and grow.

Patrick Wenck, a 4th grader from Cody, said “This museum is awesome.” Patrick’s brother, Francis, a 2nd grader, said “I love paleontology.  I have my own books about it.”

Parent Josh Mangus said, “Thanks for putting this on. We had a great time. I love museums, so this was awesome. He and his daughter, River (middle school) both expressed their enjoyment of the field trip.

Wyoming Connections Academy is a unique, tuition-free, online public school for K-12 students that is part of Big Horn County School District #1.