Expedition Yellowstone used to be a staple at Irving Elementary School; however, after COVID-19, it went away. This year, Sarelle Davis was shocked when her 5th-grade class was chosen to go.
"I thought, great, we will try, and there was no way we would get it. And we did all of the paperwork, and Ranger Micheal responded, 'We have an opening November 8 through the 11th,'" Davis says.
However, this dream might not be a reality for some students.
"Eleven students in this classroom, even with how close Yellowstone is, don't have the means to get there," Davis says.
Despite the pushback, these students are excited to have the chance to go.
When 5th grader Elyon heard the news, "I was excited! My friend Dwayne and I, mostly all of my friends, were hugging each other and jumping up and down."
Student Hazel wants everyone to explore together: "I was really excited our whole class could have the opportunity to go to Yellowstone."
Amelia is among one of the eleven students who has never been, and says, "I was excited to know that I would finally get to go because I have never been there before."
Her peer Hudson shares that he wants everyone to experience the first national park in the United States: "I was just happy that people who didn't have the financial funds to go there now have the chance to see what Montana is all about."
Most importantly, all of the kids are excited about the wildlife. Before these kids can see some animals, Davis is urging the community to help.
"The biggest need is probably financial assistance. Being at a Title I school, we have some financial barriers that we need to work through," Davis says.
Davis is looking for scholarship funding, winter coats, and sleeping bags.
"People who see what a valuable experience this can be for the children from Bozeman," Davis says.
Her bottom line?
"These children have the opportunity to go and experience this and see how they can set dreams and think bigger than the small community around them," Davis says.
To donate, contact Irving School. Use this link for more information about helping the Parents of Irving Children (PIC) fund: https://ir.bsd7.org/students-parents
