PEORIA, IL¬¬— A local business owner is challenging other area businesses to sponsor field trips to Peoria Riverfront Museum for local rural and inner-city school children.

Kelly Petersen, owner of Absolute Risk Management Strategies (ARMS) will be funding a joint field trip to the museum for Harrison Elementary School and Farmington Elementary Schools’ entire fourth grade classes on Monday, April 22, 2013 beginning at 9:30 a.m. ARMS is paying for all expenses for both school field trips. Petersen’s hope is that by bringing together urban and rural school children, it will offer unique learning experiences for the students. This will offer networking opportunities for teachers as well.

As an alum of the Harrison Community Learning Center, Petersen wanted to give back to his roots, “It’s a great idea to give to kids who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience Peoria Riverfront Museum,” said Petersen. “Having grown up in the city and now living in a rural area, I know first-hand how different each environment seems to these city and country kids. This is one way we can use to encourage kids to embrace their differences.”

He hopes that other area businesses follow his lead in providing underserved children with the opportunity to experience Peoria’s new museum.

For more information, please contact Toni Tripp at 309-863-3006 or ttripp@peoriariverfrontmuseum.org.