Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

Why should the kids have all the fun?  The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens offers a wide variety of education programs at the PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus for adults and families.  Each workshop explores a different animal or group of animals and the world we share, includes learning time in climate controlled surroundings, hands-on with selected animal ambassadors, a visit into the zoo to meet the animals, and a craft to take home.

Workshop size is limited to the first 25 people to register. 
Workshops meet Sunday afternoons from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.
Minimum age for workshop participation is 6 years old.

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Fee:
Members: $4 per person
Non-members: $5 per person

This fee is for the workshop only and does not include admission to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, which must be paid separately.

Registration:
Registration for all workshops will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. Complete a separate registration form for each family. Your signature is required to participate in workshops. We do not take registrations over the telephone.

Payment:
Full payment must accompany your registration form. We accept checks, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover cards. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the Jacksonville Zoo.

Mail the Registration Form to:
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Education Department – Family Workshop
370 Zoo Parkway
Jacksonville, FL 32218

Hand Deliver the Registration Form to the PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus at the south end of the zoo’s main parking lot Monday – Sunday 9 am – 5 pm.

FAX the Registration Form to 904-757-2444 24-hours a day. Do not forget to complete all the requested credit card information and sign the registration form.  If you have more than one family attending with you, please fax all registration forms together.

Confirmation:
Within 10 to 14 business days of receiving the registration form, you will either receive in the mail or receive an e-mail (if an e-mail address is provided) confirmation of your registration. Please do not call to check on your registration before that time. If there is a problem with your registration, you will be notified immediately.

Staff:
All staff educators are screened for excellence in children’s programming. All have had previous experience with children and have cleared nationwide, state and FBI Level 2 background checks as prescribed by the State of Florida’s Jessica Lunsford Act.

Location:
All workshops are held at the PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus located at the south end of the zoo’s main parking lot. Paying Zoo admission is not necessary to participating in class. But if you want to enter the Zoo prior to the workshop, non-members are responsible for paying Zoo admission. In your confirmation materials, you will receive a map showing you the location of the campus.

Behavior:
To ensure an enjoyable and safe experience for all, the zoo’s staff manages child behavior. All children are expected to behave appropriately, and in the event of disruptive behavior, the caregiver may be asked to remove the child from the program. If improvement is not realized immediately, the caregiver may be asked to remove the child early from workshop. In this situation, there will be no partial refunds for the workshop currently attending and future workshop participation may be denied.

Behind the Scenes:
The unique and special part of a workshop is the opportunity to go behind the scenes, meet keepers, get up-close and learn more about the exotic animals in the collection. To be able to offer this experience, it is imperative that everyone comply with all safety directions and wear the prescribed footwear – shoes must completely cover the feet; sandals, heelies, crocs and all other shoes that expose the bare skin of feet to the environment or interfere with walking are never permitted during behind the scene tours. Those who do not follow the behavior policies and safety directions or wear the prescribed shoes will not be permitted in behind the scene areas.

Special Needs:
Please indicate on the registration form any special needs our staff must be made aware of prior to your workshop. Special needs such as physical, academic, social and/or dietary will be accommodated to the best of our ability. Please note that the zoo does not employ specific individuals certified and trained to handle special needs.

Families Attending Together:
If your family wants to attend a specific workshop with another family, please fax both registrations together, put both registrations in the same envelope when mailing, or hand deliver both registrations to the PepsiCo Foundation Education Campus. This is the only way to ensure that they will be in the same workshop. Due to the popularity of our programs, we cannot save spaces, and workshops do fill quickly.

Waiting Lists:
Due to the overwhelming popularity of our workshops, we do compile waiting lists if preferred programs fill. If an opening becomes available, we will contact you by telephone and e-mail if an e-mail address has been provided. Please make sure the registration form includes daytime, evening and cell contact numbers.

REFUNDS & CANCELLATION:
Cancellations received 10 business days or more prior to the scheduled Family Workshop will receive a full refund less a 10% administrative fee.  Cancellations made 9 to 5 business days prior to the Family workshop will receive a 75% refund of fees. Cancellations made 4 days or less before the scheduled Family Workshop forfeit all fees. Exceptions to the refund policy will be made on a case by case basis and at the sole discretion of the Director of Education.