HSLDA Works with Memphis Zoo to Facilitate Visits by Homeschool Families

Every homeschooling parent has had that moment (maybe more than once) when their home resembles a zoo. Perhaps this is why homeschooling families love to visit their local zoo! After all, what can be better for science class than to see the lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!) up close and personal?

Which was why, when a sharp-eyed homeschool co-op leader in Arkansas noted that the Memphis Zoo’s recently redesigned webpage included a sentence that said “homeschool groups … are NOT eligible for field trip rates,” he contacted HSLDA for help.

I quickly reached out to the president and CEO of the Memphis Zoo, Matt Thompson, for clarification. And we are pleased to report that Mr. Thompson confirmed that this was an inadvertent mistake during a web page update that was quickly remedied.

Homeschool Students Welcome

In addition, Mr. Thompson told HSLDA that he and his family homeschool their children. “As a homeschool dad,” he told HSLDA, “we know how valuable this resource is. We value the homeschool community and welcome you to come and learn more about the natural world at the Memphis Zoo.”

HSLDA is grateful to Mr. Thompson and the entire staff of the Memphis Zoo for quickly resolving this issue, and for all they do for the homeschool community. As we have seen, it’s not just homeschool students in Tennessee who benefit from the Memphis Zoo but homeschooling families and co-ops in the entire region!