A zoo for all

Posted by: Kirsten Pisto, Communications/Public Affairs

Photo provided by Somali Community Services Coalition

We believe that every kid (and kid at heart) should have access to their local zoo.

In 2012, Woodland Park Zoo’s Community Access Program (CAP) partnered with 700 local human service organizations who offered their clients more than 40,000 complimentary passes to Woodland Park Zoo.  

Photo from Academy for Precision Learning with middle school students on a field trip at Woodland Park Zoo this past summer.

Thanks to support from zoo visitors and zoo members, we are able to reach out to folks in our community who would not otherwise be able to visit.

The partner organizations determine how passes are distributed, serving homeless shelters, food banks, senior centers and homes, refugee communities, minority programs, disabled and mental health facilities, low-income youth centers, education programs and more.

We are extremely proud of this program and want to thank each of our partner organizations for their commitment to our community. It is this spirit of collaboration and kindness that makes Seattle such an inspiring place to be.

The zoo has a way of turning its most senior visitors into youngsters, stirring imagination and rousing curiosity. We are so pleased to be able to extend this experience to those who may need it the most.

Thank you for visiting the zoo and therefore supporting us in this effort, we could not do it without you.

Photo provided by Somali Community Services Coalition

I’m the Youth Programs Coordinator at Somali Community Services Coalition and I wanted to thank you for donating tickets to our Summer Adventures Program. We went to the zoo yesterday and the kids loved it! Thank you so much for making this possible.

– Somali Community Services Coalition

Photo provided by North County Headstart

I want to thank you for such a great time my families had at the zoo! Every parent showed up with so much excitement. They had never been to the zoo. It was so heartwarming seeing the faces of the parents and children. They were learning so much that day due to the opportunity you allowed these families to have. Please pass the word to all staff and the team that allows this great opportunity for families with limited resources. Thanks to your great program, these families will have a memory of a lifetime. All day they smiled and kept saying ‘thank you, thank you, thank you’, and ‘what is this!?’ Thanks again! 

– North County Early Headstart

By sharing access to the zoo with our families, Woodland Park Zoo opens up opportunities for our parents to empower themselves and their children as global citizens who are more aware, and active in protecting and promoting a healthy environment. Together we can support our families’ lifelong learning and commitment to environmental education, exploration and stewardship. Thank you so much for allowing Denise Louie Education Center to be a part of the Woodland Park Zoo’s Community Access Program. 

– Denise Louie Education Center

The Woodland Park Zoo has been an institution in the Seattle region for decades.  It is continually changing to meet the needs of the public, but more importantly to meet the needs of the variety of species who call this "home".  Our participants love everything about the zoo - from penguins, to bears, to monkeys and more.  It is also a wonderful social outing to get our clientele to interact with the general public and the public with our participants. 

– Specialized Programs Advisory Council

The families in our program live on very limited incomes. They would not be able to afford to have such fun and educational experiences if they had to purchase tickets. Many of the families have told me of the great family time that they had when they were able to go to the Woodland Park Zoo.  Thank you for your continued desire to give low-income families the opportunity to make wonderful memories.

- Vine Maple Place