Community Outreach

We bring the wonder of invertebrates directly to your community through engaging, accessible programs for all ages and backgrounds.

Science for Everyone, Everywhere

Butterfly Pavilion believes science education should be accessible to everyone. Our community outreach programs remove barriers to learning by bringing invertebrate education directly to schools, libraries, community centers, and underserved neighborhoods across Colorado.

No bus? No problem. Our outreach educators bring live animal encounters, hands-on STEM activities, and engaging presentations straight to your school or community site, inspiring curiosity and helping participants build a deeper connection to the natural world—no field trip required.

Our Outreach Programs

From libraries to community centers, we bring the excitement of invertebrate science to your doorstep.

Library Programs

Partner with your local library to host an interactive invertebrate program featuring live animals, STEM activities, and nature-themed story time for all ages.

Youth Outreach

We visit after-school programs, youth centers, and community organizations to deliver hands-on science education to children who may not otherwise have the opportunity.

Adult & Senior

45-minute presentations featuring live ambassador animals and preserved specimens, delivered to active adult groups and senior living communities.

Program Details

  • Length: 45 minutes
  • Fee: $150/session + travel
  • Group Size/Session: 30 participants/session; additional programs required for larger groups

All outreach programs incur a travel fee of $0.73/mile round trip between your site and Butterfly Pavilion. Partial program scholarships may be available for qualifying groups.

Library Outreach Program Options

Bug Safari

Take a journey through the diverse world of invertebrates, showcasing unique species with amazing adaptations and their vital roles in ecosystems.

Creepy Crawly Storytime

By reading beloved stories and encountering live animals, children and families come to appreciate various invertebrates as they take on a whole new dimension as literary characters.

Bug Bites

Discover the world of bug-eating, where culinary traditions meet sustainable practices which can reshape the future—plus, get the chance to try a bug yourself!

Bee The Change

Explore the exciting world of bees through interactive discussion and captivating visuals. Learn about the anatomy and life of bees and the importance of pollination.

Web World

Spiders are found in great numbers all over the world, including in our houses! In this fun and interactive program, we'll meet several spider friends and explore what makes them some of the most successful animals ever.

Exploration Stations

Turn your library into a hands-on invertebrate discovery experience! Five themed activity stations with crafts, games, and exploration for all ages. 2-hour program, $275 plus travel.

Youth Outreach Program Options

3rd Grade–Adult

Discover the world of bug-eating, where culinary traditions meet sustainable practices which can reshape the future—plus, get the chance to try a bug yourself!

PreK–Adult

Take a journey through the diverse world of invertebrates, showcasing unique species with amazing adaptations and their vital roles in ecosystems.

PreK–3rd Grade

By reading beloved stories and encountering live animals, children and families come to appreciate various invertebrates as they take on a whole new dimension as literary characters.

PreK–1st Grade

Dive into an interactive role-play experience of a butterfly's life cycle, where students will discover the wonders of nature's transformation firsthand.

Age 3–1st Grade

Join us for a fun and interactive class where students can discover the amazing bugs in their own backyards, learn about their importance and bring the adventure to life with music, dramatic play.

K–5th Grade

This outreach program class is hosted by both educators at Butterfly Pavilion as well as Colorado Ballet. Through movement explorations students will explore shapes, size, speed, flow, energy, and levels. At the end of class students will get to perform dances that they created based on the information they learned that day.

*Pricing difference* – This program costs $300 and you will be paying mileage for both the Butterfly Pavilion and Colorado Ballet educator.

1st–5th Grade

Look beyond honeybees to investigate the diverse array of invertebrate pollinators and their importance.

Students learn about the survival needs of invertebrates and explore how they find those resources in different habitats. Through engagement with tactile materials, visual imagery, sound, and movement, this class creates a learning environment that will be fun and effective for learners with multiple learning styles.

This class will be preceded by an in-depth conversation with the group teacher or leader before the class day to determine how to best adapt the class for their students. This class is designed to be accessible for people with a variety of disabilities. It is also appropriate for groups who crave movement and sensory input. The class can be adapted to the unique needs of the group through selection of modules.

Program length: 20–45 minutes | Capacity: 15 students

Bug Bites Bug Safari Creepy Crawly Storytime Flutterby Itsy Bitsy Bugs Metamorphosis Moves Powerful Pollinators Sensory Safari

Colorado Pollinators

Fly alongside Colorado's pollinators! This session explores the roles of bees, butterflies, beetles, moths, and other crucial insects in our local ecosystem. Learn why these pollinators are the superheroes behind Colorado's natural beauty and how you can help protect them.

Bug Safari

Enter the fascinating realm of invertebrates with Butterfly Pavilion! Meet our buggy ambassadors, see beautiful specimens, and learn how these boneless creatures aren't just creepy crawlies – they're the key to nearly every aspect of our lives!

Beautiful Butterflies

Discover a rainbow of color as you meet face-to-face with tropical butterfly specimens from around the world, and learn about the intriguing behaviors and complex life cycles of our fascinating fluttery friends.

Weird, Wild, & Wacky

Embark on a captivating exploration into the often-overlooked invertebrate world, where you'll discover the strangest adaptations and most surprising behaviors of nature's spineless wonders.

Web World

Spiders are found in great numbers all over the world, including in our houses! In this fun and interactive program, we'll meet several spider friends and explore what makes them some of the most successful animals ever.

Scholarship Options

Butterfly Pavilion, with support from Xcel Energy, offers scholarships to schools or groups where 35% or more of students qualify for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch program, as funding allows:

  • 75% or more students: Up to 40% scholarship
  • 50% or more students: Up to 25% scholarship
  • 35% or more students: Up to 15% scholarship

When requesting a scholarship on your program form, we will verify eligibility using Title 1 lists. If needed, we may request additional documentation, such as a letter on your organization’s letterhead confirming your student population’s eligibility.

Bring Butterfly Pavilion to Your Community

Contact our outreach team to learn about program options, scheduling, and pricing for your school, library, or community organization.