Legoland Florida will be opening later this year on October 15th. The park announced today that second graders across Polk county would be able to attend Legoland Florida beginning in November 2011 when USF Polytechnic begins to provide funds for field trips to Legoland Florida.
“What a wonderful surprise for these students,” said Polk County Schools Superintendent Sherrie Nickell. “Second grade is when students start to go beyond the fundamentals and discover the interrelationships between math and science. It’s the perfect age to really engage their minds and what better way to get their attention than immersing them in imaginative play at LEGOLAND Florida.”
Regional Chancellor Dr. Marshall Goodman explained today why their group, the USF Polytechnic, will be funding the program to a group of 120 excited first graders.
“The United States faces stiff global competition from China, India and other countries that emphasize science and technology,” said Goodman. “As Florida’s first and only public polytechnic, our programs have a particular emphasis on science and technology while providing multi-disciplinary, applied learning and research experiences to prepare our graduates for the jobs of the future. We must engage students early in math and science, and keep them engaged, so they are prepared for these highly-skilled fields later. Through our partnership with LEGOLAND Florida and Polk County Schools, we hope to inspire these young minds through their experience at the park and the associated curriculum that will be introduced in their classrooms.”
Elementary Schools in Polk Country that are qualified can begin making reservations as early as today by calling (877)-530-LEGO. Reservations must be made in advance and classes must travel to Legoland during normal school hours on their field trip.
For more information about Legoland Florida, visit our Legoland Florida news page or visit Legoland’s official website.
