UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN ... - Bizjournals

Case 1:13-cv-03241-AT Document 1 Filed 09/30/13 Page 15 of 64students per year for the instructor-led and self-guided programs. Education aboutbeluga whales figures prominently in those programs. In the school years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013, 236,640 students, teachers, and chaperones visited theAquarium. In addition, since the Aquarium’s opening, more than 160,000 schoolchildren have benefited from the Aquarium’s Sponsored Education AdmissionsProgram that provides free or greatly-reduced admission to underprivilegedstudents, giving them a special opportunity to experience the Aquarium and todevelop an interest in the conservation of aquatic animals. Overall, GeorgiaAquarium has reached more than 780,000 students through outreach programs andAquarium visits.34. The educational impact on guests at Georgia Aquarium and other U.S.zoological institutions is immense. 175 million guests visit U.S. aquariums andzoos annually. Within the last decade alone, accredited U.S. facilities have trainedmore than 400,000 teachers and provided effective teaching materials and handsoninteraction for scientific curriculum around the country. Studies show thatseeing and learning about marine mammals, including belugas, in person increasesunderstanding of the species, as well as the potential impact of environmentalchanges occurring in our oceans.15