YVR Cares invests in JEDI Fieldtrips

Thanks to the generous support of YVR Cares, SPES will be able to offer up to 300 young padawans free fieldtrips in the 2023-2024 school year. JEDI stands for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and SPES is offering a limited number of free fieldtrips that serve those principles by making quality education in beautiful Stanley Park accessible to children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to learn the lessons that are best taught in an immersive hands-on nature experience. 

YVR Senior Social Impact Strategist Jody Armstrong says, “Vancouver International Airport’s (YVR) social impact program, ‘YVR Cares’ invests in community organizations that work towards Empowering People, Supporting Communities, and Creating a Sustainable Future, and we cannot be more thrilled to support SPES as they empower children with education, support lower income communities, and provide youth with the context and tools needed to address the challenges of the current climate crisis.”   

A fieldtrip can cost a class up to $1,000 with program fees and school buses. SPES Education Manager Alyx Coulter notes, “The cost of buses often makes fieldtrips inaccessible to lower income families at ‘enhanced resource schools’ but thanks to champions like YVR Cares, SPES has ‘enhanced resources’ to engage children in the region in educational programming.” 

SPES makes every effort to reach out to underserved communities, offer subsidized fees on request, offer many low or no cost programs, and accommodate the diverse needs of traditionally marginalized and equity-deserving communities, but this vital work relies on funders like YVR Cares. Tricia explains, “Transportation costs are usually paid for by the student’s families, creating a barrier to accessing the quality education and enriching nature experiences that inspires a child’s field of study, hobbies, and future in the sciences.” adding, “YVR Cares is investing in SPES’s schools programs to ensure our 10+ curriculum-based fieldtrips are accessible, enriching, and educational opportunities and experiences that connect people with nature and create an appreciation for the environment that lasts long after their visit to the Park.” 

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