Forest Hills students turn John Ball Zoo into a hands

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For hundreds of Forest Hills students, the John Ball Zoo (JBZ) wasn’t just a place to see animals; it was a living classroom.

On Wednesday, more than 600 students from the district’s three high schools explored the zoo as part of their biology classes, learning about animal behavior, adaptations and enrichment through hands-on activities.

“The millage that was passed in 2016 made it so that all Kent County students get into the public museum and to the zoo for free. And I think it’s a great opportunity for teachers to bring their students here and use the zoo as their classroom, get outside those four walls and connect with us,” said Ben Sneller, education manager with JBZ

Students like Noura Kumari and Julia Merhi visited a dozen stations spread throughout the zoo