Take your students on an educational field trip they are sure to enjoy.
School & Group Programs
Let the area’s best zoo provide an unforgettable learning experience for you.
Let the area’s best zoo provide an unforgettable learning experience for you.
Cosley Zoo education programs support many Illinois State Learning Standards for children ages 3 and over. Cosley Zoo staff is experienced in working with a wide variety of ages and groups with special needs. Program material is adjusted to be age-appropriate for your group. We look forward to being part of a memorable learning experience.
Cosley Zoo is home to more than 50 species of animals, each with a unique story to tell! Zoo-m with a zoo instructor and one of our animal ambassadors to learn more about the animal’s natural history, fun facts, and more! Zoo-m Animal Chat species include a Hahn’s macaw, Madagascar hissing cockroach, walking stick, tarantula, rabbit, chicken, hedgehog, snake, turtle, skink, or millipede.*
Audience: Grades K -adult
Participants: Maximum of 30 participants/30 individual logins
Length: 15 minutes
Fee: $85 per presentation or $225 for a series of 3 presentations (must make all reservations at the same time)
*We are happy to take requests for specific animals; however, we cannot guarantee the availability of a particular animal on the day of the presentation, and occasionally substitutions may be necessary.
Looking to add a little adventure to your classroom curriculum? Invite a zoo instructor and three of Cosley Zoo’s animal residents to your classroom (virtually!) for a wildly educational program. Choose from a wide range of topics or ask us to customize a topic to suit your curriculum needs or interests.
Audience: Grades K -adult
Participants: Maximum of 30 participants/30 individual logins
Length: 30 minutes
Fee: $175
Program Topics:
- Fur and Feathers
- Critter Class
- Gone Buggy
- No Bones About It
- Home Sweet Habitat
- Who’s Who
- Reptiles
Other program topics can be custom created to meet the needs of your group.
Allow a zoo instructor and one of our animal ambassadors to introduce your students to the practice of biomimicry or habitat design. To wrap up the program, the zoo instructor presents students with a PBL project* that challenges them to design a real-world solution to a problem related to either biomimicry or habitat design.
*Project to be completed outside of the zoo’s virtual presentation.
Audience: Grades K & up
Participants: Maximum of 30 participants/30 individual logins
Length: 30 minutes
Fee: $175
Want extra time for questions or the opportunity for students to present their projects to an expert?
Our education department is happy to help! Fee: $100 per hour
Program Topics:
- Biomimicry (2nd grade and up)
- Habitat Design (K and up)
Bring Cosley Zoo to your audience with a prerecorded Zoo to You presentation. Our professional zoo educator will record a program on a topic of your choosing which includes up-close encounters with three of our ambassador animals. Virtual Zoo to You programs are great for large audiences or evening presentations. You will have access to the video link for 48 hours to distribute or show as you choose.
Audience: Early childhood-adult
Length: 20 minutes
Fee: $225.00 for custom introduction and prerecorded video; $300.00 for custom introduction and Q&A
Program Topics:
- Fur and Feathers
- Critter Class
- Gone Buggy
- No Bones About It
- Home Sweet Habitat
- Who’s Who
- Reptiles
Other program topics can be custom created to meet the needs of your group.
A trip to Cosley Zoo will offer an unequaled experience as your group participates in an educational, fun, and interactive program featuring several live animal ambassadors. Programs cover a variety of topics and are available year-round.
Audience: Ages 3-adult
Participants: Maximum of 30 participants per program
Length: 30 minutes
Fee:
Youth programs (participants ages 17 years and under): $6.25/participant (a minimum of 12 participants per program or $75); 1 adult for every 10 children is free. Additional adults are $10 each.
Adult programs (Participants ages 18 years +): $16.25/participant (includes zoo admission).
Program Topics:
- Fur and Feathers
- Critter Class
- Gone Buggy
- No Bones About It
- Home Sweet Habitat
- Who’s Who
- Reptiles
Other program topics can be custom-created to meet the needs of your group.
Can’t come to the zoo? Let us come to you! A Cosley Zoo educator and live animal ambassadors will present a dynamic, one-of-a-kind program right in your classroom or multi-purpose room with our Zoo to You program.
Audience: Ages 3-adult
Participants:
- Classroom/small group program—maximum of 30 individuals
- Assembly program—maximum of 150 individuals
Length: 45 minutes
Fee:
- Classroom/small group program—$180 plus travel fee
- Assembly program–$305 plus travel fee
Multiple programs scheduled to take place on the same day may be eligible for a discount. After-hours programs may have an additional fee.
Travel Fee
- 0-5 miles = no additional fee
- 6-10 miles = $25 additional fee
- 11-20 miles = $45 additional fee
- 20+ miles = fee determined on a case-by-case basis
Program Topic Descriptions
Introduce your students to the different body coverings found on animals. In this class, they’ll see examples of feathers, fur, and scales and identify their functions.
What makes a mammal a mammal, a bird a bird, or a reptile a reptile? Students learn the criteria that help us place animals in their proper classification or group.
What has three body parts, six legs, two antennae and sometimes wings? Insects! Learn basic insect characteristics and much more.