GOSHEN, N.Y. (Oct. 17, 2016) – LEGOLAND® New York today announced details of educational programs and benefits for students and teachers once the proposed theme park in the Town of Goshen opens.
“LEGOLAND makes substantial commitments to local communities,” said Phil Royle, LEGOLAND New York’s head of community & project relations. “LEGOLAND New York is proud to provide educational programming to the families of Goshen and Orange County. We are completely committed to providing not only solid entertainment, but challenging and fun educational programming that will benefit learning at all ages.”
LEGOLAND New York will:
• Offer year-round educational opportunities to students throughout the region, with programs focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education.
• Partner with local schools and colleges to train and employ students interested in careers in hospitality, business and mechanical engineering, among other fields.
• Offer special programs and discounted tickets to area schools, including all school districts within Orange County. The cost for student field trips start at $15 per student. Also, free tickets to schools will also be provided for fundraising opportunities. Free field trips and in-kind donations at LEGOLAND® California since opening in 1999 have generated nearly $1 million in benefits to local schools.
• Offer free annual passes to all educators in Orange County to learn about the educational opportunities for their students. There are about 5,000 full-time educators teaching in Orange County schools that could take advantage of this opportunity.
LEGOLAND Park’s educational programming engages preschool, elementary and secondary school students in subjects from science to humanities. Programs such as FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. and FIRST LEGO League are international inquiry-based educational programs that not only reinforce the importance of a STEM education, but support core life skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork.
“Whether it’s our ‘Funtastic Gears’ program for kindergarteners to second-graders or our ‘Rover Rescue’ program designed for fourth to eighth-graders, LEGOLAND has a catalog of exciting offerings that make learning fun and memorable while being age appropriate,” Royle added. “We know many Orange County schools already use LEGO as part of their curriculum and we’re very excited to bring our knowledge and expertise to Orange County to support their great work. I look forward to meeting with the county’s school superintendents to talk about the positive impact we feel we can make in their schools to both their students and teachers.”
About Merlin Entertainments plc
Merlin Entertainments plc is a global leader in location based, family entertainment. Europe’s No. 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates more than 100 attractions, 13 hotels and four holiday villages in 23 countries and across four continents. The company aims to deliver memorable experiences to its more than 60 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its approximate 27,000 employees. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.
About LEGOLAND Parks
The first LEGOLAND Park opened in 1968 in Billund, Denmark, followed by Windsor in the United Kingdom in 1996 and in California in 1999. In 2002, LEGOLAND Deutschland opened. Since 2005, those four parks have belonged to British-based Merlin Entertainments Group. In 2011, the group opened LEGOLAND Florida and LEGOLAND Malaysia in 2012. LEGOLAND Dubai is scheduled to open October 31, 2016, with LEGOLAND Japan scheduled for the second quarter of 2017. To learn more, visit: www.LEGOLAND.com.
