Steeleville HS Science Club preparing for summer trip

After visiting Yellowstone National Park two years ago, the Steeleville High School Science Club is ready to head back west.

The 46 students, along with nine adult chaperones, will be visiting Yosemite National Park in California's Sierra Nevada mountains on a two-week bus trip starting June 5.

"I think the trip, as a whole, is to get the kids to see there's a lot more out there outside Steeleville," said Steeleville High School science teacher Bill Grafton. "Most of the time, we'll be staying in school gymnasiums along the way."

After leading Steeleville on June 5, the group will drive 22 hours to Salt Lake City in Utah, where they will see the sights and overnight at Bountiful High School in Bountiful, Utah.

On June 7, the group will drive to Yosemite National Park and stay at Yosemite National Park Valley School, which is an elementary school (K-6) located inside the park itself.

The school serves the children of the employees of the National Park Service, as well as the children of the concession employees at the park.

On June 10, the group will visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium

"That's supposed to be one of the top five aquariums in the world," Grafton said. "If we can make it happen, the kids want to go through the Golden Gate Bridge also."

After leaving Yosemite, the group will spend one night in Las Vegas on June 12 at the Stratosphere, which is a resort that contains the tallest freestanding observation tower in the nation at 1,149 feet.

From there, they are scheduled to tour the Hoover Dam on June 13 before spending three nights at the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

The group will depart for Steeleville on June 16.

"I want (the students) to learn about America as a whole and the different landscapes and the beauty the country has to offer," Grafton said. "If I take these kids to see this, hopefully they'll see the value in it and take their children to go see it."

The Science Club has been on other various trips and schedules them every other year due to cost and planning.

"We have 46 students, but have room for 50 kids," Grafton said. "We will take a charter bus and one of the school's buses.

"The cost is $500 per kid, which pays for the cost of transportation."

The Science Club also does different fundraisers throughout the school year, which goes toward the cost of the trips. Area businesses have chipped in too.

"When we go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, it won't cost them anything to get in," Grafton said. "It's normally a $50 fee to get in."

The Science Club will also be pumping gas for tips at the Steeleville Casey's on Saturday, with proceeds going toward the upcoming trip.

"We do stuff that we would normally do in the club throughout the year and save a little bit of money toward the next trip that's coming," Grafton said. "Any money that we bring in, that money goes back to the kids."

Grafton was asked what part of the trips is the most fun for him.

"I just like to see the expression on a kid's face," he said. "Once they get to these places and they've never seen these places before, it's amazing.

"I think we're going to some places that will be really remarkable."