Elmwood Zoo Gets $20K Grant For Sensory-Driven Experiences

NORRISTOWN, PA — Elmwood Park Zoo has received a $20,000 grant that will help them improve their programs for individuals with disabilities.

The charitable grant from the SEI Cares Fund will be used for the zoo's "Touch Tours" program which allows blind and auditory-imparied children to experience the zoo.

"SEI Cares has sustained the ‘Touch Tours’ program for a number of years, and for that, I am extremely grateful," Jennifer Conti, Elmwood Park Zoo’s Development Director, said in a statement. "With their support, the zoo can offer more than just a visual experience. Now, students with diverse needs can experience the zoo in a manner that is native to their learning styles; they can feel the soft pelt of a chinchilla, smell the sweet grain of our barn feed, and hear the calls from the Connelly Foundation Birds of Paradise exhibit. It is truly a unique program, and one that we are proud to offer."

Elmwood is the first zoo ever approved as a Certified Autism Center, and have since hosted various events aimed at broadening their inclusivity, including a special autism-friendly Halloween event last fall.

The SEI grant will also provide continuing education for zoo staff members with teachers from the Overbrook School for the Blind, helping the zoo to become an even more inclusive facility.