District 196 Community Education

Hop on board for a full day of adventure and learning in Southern Minnesota. Our first stop is the Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo along with the Oxbow Nature Center. We will have a 45 minute guided tour of the Zoo and Nature Center. The Dr. Paul E. Zollman Zoo houses over 30 species of wild animals native to Minnesota. In the nature center you will learn about animal life, natural history, outdoor recreation skills and ecology. Following our tour you will have time to explore the zoo, park, nature center exhibits and go on a walk. Bring a bag lunch and we'll meet at the picnic tables at noon. The park, zoo and nature center are connected and located just outside of Rochester, MN in Byron. Early afternoon we will hop back on the bus and head to Faribault for a guided tour of the Faribault Woolen Mill. Learn about this historic mill that started in 1892. Faribault Mill endures as one of the last vertical woolen mills in America. As you tour the mill, you'll learn about the history of the Faribault Mill and its importance to the local community. You'll also get a behind-the-scenes look at the machinery and tools used in the manufacturing process. This tour is about an hour long. Afterwards you can visit the gift shop. You may want to bring money for souvenirs at the gift shops. Make sure to bring a bag lunch and beverage.There will be coolers available for you to store your lunch if needed. Bus departs East Lake Elementary School at 8:30am! Caregivers need to register for a space on the bus!

Get together with friends over coffee and catch up on summer happenings and plans. We'll meet at McDonald's in Apple Valley to start off the day! Remember to bring money for coffee!

We’ll walk around Sunset Pond (1.75 miles). If the parking lot is full, please park next door in the office parking lot. (It’s okay to park there in the evening.) We will have bottles of water and a snack after the walk that you can enjoy while we visit.

With a couple coffee cans and a few ingredients turn a liquid solution into a cold creamy ice cream dessert. Fun chemistry for a summer day. Bring your own winter gloves for rocking ’n’ rolling as the cans will get frosty cold!

Come spend the morning on a pontoon boat for a two hour cruise on the beautiful St. Croix and Mississippi rivers. You will see the peaceful scenery around the river along with various wildlife. Lifejackets and complimentary water bottles will be provided. Dress for the weather; it can be cooler on the water so make sure to have a jacket, sweatshirt or sweater! The captain and crew will meet you at 10am and assist in getting you a lifejacket before you board the boat. Then the boat will depart the Prescott dock and return at 12:00pm. The boat is wheelchair accessible. Meet at the Miss-Croix Marina in Prescott, Wisconsin. Transportation is not provided for this activity. The pontoon can accomodate 10 passengers total. Caregivers must register!

Enjoy the fun experience of creating with quick air dry foam clay. You will have many colors and an ample amount of clay to work with in this class. Use your imagination to create plants, animals, people, cars, shapes or any other object you care to make. Make a sculpture with your hands or use molds and cookie cutters that will be available to help you create objects. There will be take home containers for your artwork.

Help keep our community clean and beautiful. Project Explore has adopted Valley Middle Park on the northern border of Valley Middle School. We'll meet to pick up litter. Tools are provided, bring work gloves if you'd like and dress for the weather.

Calling all Twins fans! Hop on board the bus to Minneapolis and help us cheer on the hometown team as they take on the Seattle Mariners in June and the Detroit Tigers in August. June's game is in the evening starting at 6:40pm. and in August it is a Sunday afternoon game starting at 1:10pm. These are very popular events, so get your registrations in early. Limited wheelchair seating is available. The tickets are in the Legend's Landing section. Limitless food & beverage is INCLUDED at every game! Simply present your ticket at the concession stand located behind the Legends Landing to receive unlimited ballpark fare, including hot dogs, burgers, chicken tenders, popcorn, pop, water, juice and milk. We must receive your registration and payments by June 2nd for the June 24th game and July 24th for the August 17th game, or until the tickets have sold out. Caregivers need to register and pay for each game ticket.

Join us for a private cruise on Lake Minnetonka with friends. Lady of the Lake, a beautiful historic sternwheeler boat will take us all around the lake to explore beautiful shorelines, bay, inlets and harbors. There are three levels to the boat so you can be fully inside or completely uncovered, up top on the deck. Dinner is provided and includes a sandwich, salad, jumbo cookie and a beverage. Gluten free option is available. Your registration includes the boat ride, your meal and drink. The boat does have four stairs to navigate getting on and off the boat but is otherwise accessible. Caregivers need to register and pay for this cruise. Registration must be received by August 5th or until the boat is full.