Education

Going for a Ride

By Jessica L. Tonn — January 11, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Elementary pupils from 13 school districts in Snohomish County, Wash., are being introduced to their local transportation system, many of them for the first time.

The “Education & Fun Rolled Into One” field-trip program, run by the Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett, Wash., and Everett Transit, helps young people accustomed to riding in cars to consider other ways of getting around.

The two-hour program begins at the newly constructed Everett Station, in downtown Everett, 30 miles north of Seattle. Students arrive on school buses or, when possible, ride transit buses from their schools to the station.

Museum staff educators meet the children, give them a tour of the $45 million transportation and art center, and discuss the importance and convenience of using public transportation.

“The program reinforces the importance of cutting down on transportation congestion, pollution, and the importance of public transportation,” said Sally Evans, the museum’s community-relations spokeswoman.

The program was created to address a local problem—a critical shortage of parking spaces at the museum and in the town itself.

But Everett offers plenty of other ways for residents to get around. Everett Transit operates more than 40 buses, which can transport children to and from Everett’s 19 neighborhoods, all for only 35 cents. The main station also serves as a connection point for regional and national bus lines, Amtrak trains, taxis, and shuttles.

From the station, the students board a transit bus, bound for the Children’s Museum and a tour of its exhibits.

Last school year, the program served more than 500 pupils, according to Ms. Evans. That number is expected to grow dramatically in the coming year, however, thanks to a recent pledge by the Everett City Council to pay the program’s annual $17,500 cost.

Ms. Evans said that the museum now will be able to use its resources to more efficiently market the field trip to educators and principals throughout the county.

Museum officials estimate that as many as 3,000 children could be involved in the program in the coming year.

In 2003, the museum received the Promising Practices award for the program from the New York City-based MetLife Foundation and the Association of Children’s Museums, based in Washington.

A version of this article appeared in the January 12, 2005 edition of Education Week

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: March 13, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 21, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 7, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: January 31, 2024
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read