By Christine Sellers
When the Academy’s live animals take a road trip to visit schoolchildren, they will have a stylish new ride thanks to Subaru of America – and so will the Academy educators behind the wheel.
Subaru, based in Cherry Hill, N.J., recently donated two brand-new Subaru Outback SUVs to the museum. The donation supports the popular Academy on the Go outreach program which serves more than 20,000 students each year, many through grant-supported free visits.
The program brings live animals, Academy plant and animal specimens, and museum educators to classrooms, assemblies, and other educational events in the tri-state area all year round. With Subaru’s support, the Academy will also offer a dozen free visits for underserved students in Camden, N.J.
The shiny new Outbacks are decorated with colorful, eye-catching graphics featuring some of the Academy’s most popular live animals, from J’Gar the barn owl to Ollie the tortoise to everyone’s favorite fossil T. rex.
This is the second recent donation from Subaru for this program; the first was in 2013.
“The Academy is so pleased and fortunate to benefit from Subaru’s continued generosity,” said Academy President and CEO George W. Gephart, Jr. “These safe and sturdy vehicles are perfect for bringing a part of the Academy to schools and other institutions looking to bolster science education with fun, hands-on experiences.”
“Subaru is proud to support the amazing work done by the Academy of Natural Sciences in bringing the excitement of a museum visit to schools and classrooms,” said Sandra Capell, Philanthropy and Corporate Responsibility Manager at Subaru of America. “We hope these new vehicles will play a big part in their continued effort to promote science and wildlife education in our region.”
All of the Academy on the Go lessons are tied to state and national standards for science education. For information about how to bring Academy on the Go to your school or community event, visit ansp.org.
Photos by Mike Servedio/ANS