Fifth graders from Spring Creek Elementary traveled to Georgetown and Waco on an Education in Action Discover Texas Field Trip on Thursday, May 21, 2026, to experience what they are learning in science. Students visited Inner Space Cavern in Georgetown and the Waco Mammoth National Monument.

During the charter bus ride to Georgetown, Texas, students discussed why Texans are so proud of their unique heritage and participated in activities and games in preparation for the day ahead. At Inner Space Cavern, they explored massive underground chambers filled with breathtaking rock formations and got an up-close look at Earth's ever-changing crust. Above ground, students became young scientists by panning for gems and minerals and participating in hands-on activities to learn how rocks form and how delicate food webs maintain balance. On the way back home, the group stopped at Waco Mammoth National Monument, where the students experienced the nation's only recorded discovery of a nursery herd of Pleistocene mammoths and learned about the Ice Age, how the fossils were discovered, sedimentary rocks, and why the site is one of the most important paleontological sites in North America.

''Education in Action's Discover Texas Field Trips are based on the understanding that the most effective way for students to learn is through experience,'' stated Jennifer Pasteur, Education in Action's Executive Director. ''Student activities during Discover Texas Field Trips reinforce and supplement Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) learning objectives in fun and hands-on ways at significant Texas sites that bring the content to life.''

Education in Action's Discover Texas Field Trips make it easy for teachers to take their students on organized, fun, and educational site-based learning experiences. Education in Action handles all details, including round-trip charter bus transportation, meals, and reservations. It provides the TEKS-based program curriculum so participating teachers can focus on their students and make connections between the experience and what students are learning in the classroom.

This story is based on a press release provided by Education in Action, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to fostering educated and involved young people. Learn more at educationinaction.org.