Indiana Michigan Power gave a $216,000 grant for education to the Potawatomi Zoo.
The grant money will create a STEM classroom on zoo grounds, provide scholarships, and hire more staff for the EdZOOcation program.
It will also be used for a new male White Rhino exhibit.
Josh Sisk, interim executive director of the Potawatomi Zoo, said the grant money will double what they can do for the community.
“We see ourselves as a regional destination here at the zoo. The zoo is modernizing like crazy right now. We’re growing at a rapid pace. We’re reaching out further and further out into the community,” Sisk said.
Construction will begin in about six weeks and the STEM classroom isexpected to be ready by Spring of 2020.
The projects are part of the zoo’s several-year master plan, which includes new animal enclosures, a refurbished front entrance and more accessible facilities.