Pittsburgh All-School Trip

On Friday, April 4th, 2025, the Grier School departed on its annual all-school trip. Around 7:30 AM, students boarded buses heading to different destinations around Pittsburgh, PA. Throughout the day, students explored the rich history and many cultural landmarks hidden away within the city. Each grade went to different destinations including the zoo and various museums. Students were able to navigate these institutions within small groups that were headed by teachers. 

Seventh and eighth graders explored the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, which proudly houses over 600 species of animals, including ones distinctly not from the area, like the Komodo Dragon from Indonesia. Students had the opportunity to observe animals in a sustainable manner, as the Pittsburgh Zoo largely focuses on conservation efforts. “To make the world better for wildlife, we will be a leader in uniting people to take conservation action,” their website proudly says. In addition, the middle schoolers had the opportunity to speak to zoologists who taught them about the different animals in the exhibitions, and even were able to hold and pet a few of them! With Earth Day activities just around the corner, seventh and eighth graders’ experiences with the varied wildlife were sure to inspire many girls’ passions for the great outdoors. It also drives home the importance of sustainability and the fragile lives sustainability aims to protect. 

The Freshmen took a trip to the Carnegie Science Center. Founded by Andrew Carnegie, the science center is Pittsburgh’s most visited museum attracting over 1,500 visitors daily. The science center has multiple exhibitions, many of which are interactive and part of their educational programs. The students had the chance to observe many exhibits about nature and innovation, including displays about railroads, submarines, biology, mental health, as well as a whole Planetarium.  The museum has over 400 exhibits to explore, including one of the largest sports exhibits in the world. This trip was intended to foster the minds of students who are interested in pursuing STEM activities and was an enlightening and engaging experience for students of all career paths, interests, and hobbies. Ninth graders marveled at the displays, interacted with friends, and learned about fields of science they might not have considered previously.

The sophomore class visited the Carnegie Museum of Art, another of the four Carnegie museums. The museum was founded in 1896 in hopes to record “the progress and development of pictorial art in America.” The museum has thousands of pieces in its permanent collection, including works by Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet, along with many other inspiring, well-known artists. The many different mediums on display showed girls how versatile the creative process can be. Students were moved by the clear passion put into the artwork in the expansive archive, and many resonated with the pieces they saw. 

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History hopes “to deepen wonder and advance understanding of our natural world—past and present—in order to embrace responsibility for our collective future,” and that is exactly what Grier’s juniors saw on their tour. Another one of the many museums founded by Andrew Carnegie, the museum is known for its paleontological displays and contains some of the largest, most expensive, and best-preserved specimens on the planet in that field. However, that is far from all the museum had for students to appreciate. The museum includes exhibits varying across many different parts of natural history, including mineral and gem displays, Native-American cultural displays, a nature reserve, and even Egyptian artifacts. Students engaged with our world’s history, learning about nature before and during the age of humanity. The experience widened the girls’ horizons and revitalized the importance of history in our world. 

Lastly, the senior class went to the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. The gardens are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and for good reason. They display hundreds of botanical species, with simulated climates to keep each plant in good health. The conservatory has an indoor and outdoor section in order to display all of the gorgeous plant life. Visiting the gardens helped affirm the girls’ love for planet Earth and the expansive life within it. 

After their trips, the classes all met at Ross Park Mall to shop and hang out with friends. Girls spanning across different grades met up to talk about their experiences on the trip, what they did, and what they enjoyed. Many people expressed interest in visiting the mall again, as well as saying they had a positive experience on the trip. 

The trip was a very educational and interesting experience for all those involved. Teachers appreciated that the students were able to learn about important issues with a hands-on approach while also having fun. Learning exists in many different forms, and it is important to expose students to various different experiences in order to allow them to grow and thrive.