Amusement Parks: Hersheypark Offers Learning Opportunities to Students Blooloop

For several days each May, Hersheypark, the 110-acre theme park with more than 65 rides and attractions, becomes an active “laboratory” featuring specialized learning concepts so students can make their own personal discoveries and reinforce what they’ve learned in their classrooms.

Complete details are available at www.Hersheypark.com, but here is information about each of the days:

Friday, May 8 – Math Day: Students will apply real-life situations to the mathematical concepts learned in the classroom by completing activities such as timing a roller coaster train as it leaves the station and then calculating its speed by knowing the distance it travels.

Thursday, May 14 – Physics Day: Students will learn how physics concepts relate to the motion of rides by using self-guided manuals and a variety of instruments. The staff of Millersville University’s physics department will host specially designed programs in the Hersheypark Amphitheatre.

Wednesday, May 20 – Ed-ZOO-Cation Day (new for 2009): ZooAmericaNorth American Wildlife Park naturalists will use interactive Habitat Stations to demonstrate how various species support entire ecosystems. In addition, Endangered Species Programs will describe how a variety of factors can lead to an entire species becoming endangered.

Thursday, May 21 – Science Day: Students will measure, calculate, experience and comprehend such physical-science concepts as speed, energy and force using the Hersheypark Physical Science Guide. Representatives from The Franklin Institute, one of the premiere centers for science education and development, and performers from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will present programs designed specially for the day.

Thursday, May 28 – Marketing Day (new for 2009): Students will have access to marketing experts from Hersheypark and Hershey’s Chocolate World, who will discuss the marketing disciplines of advertising, experiential marketing, guest services, promotions, public relations and social media. A question-and-answer session will follow each 25-minute presentation.