CHICAGO, Aug. 21, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- (WITH PACKAGE) Picture 20 to 30 kids in grades K-8, petting a gecko and live lobster, listening to their hearts through a stethoscope, doing sit-ups, looking inside the eye or leering at gobs of money inside a bank's vault. Sound like a scene out of a Pokemon movie? Well it's not -- it's a Field Trip!
Hidden in all of this fun are loads of wonderful life-skill education lessons that engage all five senses and are free to teachers and students by going to www.fieldtripfactory.com or calling toll-free, (866) 212-0456. These unique interactive education field trip programs are called Be a Smart Shopper, The Medical Mystery Tour(tm), Be a Sports Authority(tm), The Eye-Opening Adventure and The Great Green Adventure.
Designed and executed by Chicago-based Field Trip Factory(tm) (FTF), these programs offer wonderful lessons within the classroom, dealing with such life skills as money management, nutrition, animal welfare, fitness, safety and healthcare, all of which incorporate math, literacy and self-esteem lessons. Those lessons are brought to life during field trips within actual environments such as hospitals, grocery stores and banks. This helps educators meet the state learning standards for Physical Development, Health, and Economics. It helps kids, too. Research shows children learn 60% more outside the classroom in field trip environments. Plus, 40 states have mandated life-skills learning experiences. Each FTF program is designed to reinforce the education curricula taught in schools. Now in its eighth year, their programs have reached more than 1 million students. The education model created by FTF requires no tax dollars, no grant funding and no public funding. All FTF field trips are Corporately Funded.
For example, Petco is funding field trips to their stores to teach children about animal welfare and the bond between people and pets. University of Chicago Children's Hospital is funding and hosting The Medical Mystery Tour(tm), which teaches children preventative health education covering subjects such as health basics, the heart and the lungs. The Great Green Adventure(tm) helps kids learn math skills and money management inside LaSalle bank branches. Be A Smart Shopper(tm) is conducted within grocery stores (Dominick's, Lowes Foods, Giant Eagle and Roche Bros.), where children learn nutrition and smart spending lessons. FTF was shocked to learn that an estimated 3 million students in America leave home without eating breakfast. And children eat less than half of the five recommended servings of fruits and vegetables a day. In fact, they are twice as likely to eat french fries as any other vegetable. These field trips are designed to get kids to eat better.
Be a Sports Authority field trips were designed to address the Center For Disease Control's (CDC) recent study reporting that 6 million American children are overweight, and to impart the importance of sports safety and good sportsmanship. It takes place inside The Sports Authority stores, where kids learn valuable fitness tips such as the importance of being physically fit and vital lessons on how to exercise and play safely. Be a Sports Authority field trips hope to teach kids to love exercise and fitness, which is in sync with The Sports Authority's mission to encourage children to 'Get Out and Play'.
The Eye-Opening Adventure will take place inside Pearle Vision eye-care centers to teach children the importance of good vision, eye care and eye safety.
All FTF programs meet learning standards. In fact, their programs have been applauded by educators and endorsed by the North Carolina Association of Educators. Ninety-nine percent of teachers who have taken the Be a Smart Shopper field trip said they recommend them to others. The company's ability to act as a liaison between teachers and business is a plus for both parties. FTF provides teachers a way to quickly book their field trips on the Web -- saving teachers valuable time.
Constantly working with feedback from teachers on classroom materials and tour particulars the dedicated team at FTF are committed to making teaching easier on teachers and learning exciting and fun for children.
Releases related to this and other Feature Packages can be found at FeatureXpress, www.featurexpress.com
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CONTACT: Penner PR
Henry Penner
(323) 661-6135