CURIODYSSEY

WILDLIFE HABITATS:CURIODYSSEY HOUSES NEARLY 70 ANIMALS- FROM NEWTS AND MILLIPEDES TO EAGLES AND RIVER OTTERS. THESE ANIMALS ALLOW CHILDREN TO EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTAND THE NATURAL WORLD. ALL OF THE ANIMALS HOUSED AT CURIODYSSEY ARE CONSIDERED BY THE STATE TO BE UNABLE TO BE RELEASED INTO THE WILD. SOME DO NOT HAVE THE SKILLS TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES, WHILE OTHERS CANNOT AVOID PREDATION IN THE WILD. OUR ANIMALS REINFORCE THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION BY TAKING CENTER STAGE IN OUR WILDLIFE HABITATS, SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS, AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS. CURIODYSSEY IS ACCREDITED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS (AZA). THE AZA ACCREDITS FEWER THAN 10% OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS NATIONWIDE.

EXHIBITS/PUBLIC PROGRAMS:THIS YEAR WE COMPLETED THE THIRD YEAR OF THE STEMCORPS MENTOR PROGRAM, CONNECTING 50 STUDENTS AND MENTORS IN BIWEEKLY VIRTUAL 1:1 MENTOR SESSIONS WHERE DIFFERENT STEM CONCEPTS WERE EXPLORED THROUGH HANDS-ON STEM ACTIVITIES. THE STEMCORPS INITIATIVE WAS CREATED TO CONNECT A CURIODYSSEY TRAINED TEAM OF EDUCATORS, MENTORS, CAREGIVERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO SUPPORT YOUTH FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES AND EMPOWER THEM TO PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM) LEARNING. CAMP CURIODYSSEY CONTINUES TO BE OUR FLAGSHIP PROGRAM. IT ENGAGES CAMPERS IN AN IMMERSIVE JOURNEY EXPLORING NATURAL PHENOMENA THROUGH SCIENCE AND IN THE NATURAL WORLD. THE CAMP PROGRAM FOSTERS CREATIVITY, IMAGINATION AND APPRECIATION FOR NATURE. EACH CAMP PROVIDES PERSONAL, INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES FOR PRESCHOOL THROUGH FOURTH GRADE YOUTH. ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS INCREASED BY 80% THROUGH OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO REDUCE FINANCIAL BARRIERS TO ACCESS. THIS YEAR 3,264 CHILDREN RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT AND 72 ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT FOR FIELD TRIPS, SCIENCE WORKSHOPS, OR WILDLIFE PROGRAMS. CURIODYSSEY'S CAMP INCLUSION PROGRAM SUPPORTED 126 CHILDREN WITH NEEDS AND ACCOMMODATIONS AND THEIR FAMILIES. SENSORY SUNDAYS, A QUARTERLY EVENT WELCOMING VISITORS WITH SENSORY ACCESS NEEDS TO CURIODYSSEY FOR A FREE AFTERNOON OF SCIENCE ACTIVITIES, ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS, POP-UP EXHIBITS, WELCOMED OVER 1,300 ATTENDEES THIS YEAR. FOUR SEASONAL INTERACTIVE EXHIBITIONS WERE LAUNCHED. 23 NEW PHENOMENON BASED SCIENCE EXHIBITS, AND MANY RETURNING FAVORITES, WERE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THESE EXHIBITIONS. THIS INCLUDED THE RETURN OF OUR AUTUMN EXHIBITION, FALL INTO SCIENCE, AND OUR POPULAR WINTER LIGHTS EXHIBITION, ILLUMINODYSSEY, AS WELL AS TWO BRAND NEW SEASONAL EXHIBITIONS. THIS REPRESENTS A RECORD NUMBER OF NEW EXHIBITS RELEASED IN A SINGLE YEAR.