This winter, Alden-Conger fourth- and fifth-graders are learning about underwater vertebrates, but come this spring, they’ll be sleeping with them.

For the past 15 years, Alden-Conger School has biennially taken upper elementary students to the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, where they receive a behind-the-scenes tour concluding with an overnight stay next to the shark and dolphin tanks.

“It’s amazing,” science teacher Shelly Sipple said. “For most of the students it’s their most memorable experience from elementary school.”

But before students can lie atop the shark tank or see the frozen mice waiting to be the day’s lunch, a lot of fundraising goes into making sure the trip is affordable to all families; the most important being the annual chili supper and bake sale.

Held in the school cafeteria, the fundraiser helps defray the cost of the trip raising much of the $4,000 needed to needed to keep the trip affordable.

“The fundraiser is really a great thing,” Sipple said. “We seem to bring in a lot of money and the public is so supportive.”

And it’s that support that bring the cost for each student down from $55 to around $15.

“I am excited to see if we get a lot of people there,” fifth-grader Alexa Drescher said. “I think everyone should come because every year the chili is great and we sell a whole bunch of cookies.”

Not only are students like Drescher expected to help at the fundraiser, busing tables and waiting on their family, they work with the community to bring in hamburger donations; their goal this year was 60 pounds.

“The fundraiser teaches the students teamwork and organization skills,” Sipple said. “That they all have to work together to get what they want.”

And once they do reach that goal it will give them an educational experience they’ll never forget.

“Without the fundraising we wouldn’t be able to go,” social studies teacher Stephanie Hallman said. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”

The teachers work hard, too, providing important lessons before the trip.

“In social studies the students learn quite a bit of geography,” Hallman said. “They also practice good questioning skills and work on letter writing for thank-you notes.”

And the students appreciate the education.

“Usually when I hear things I adapt them,” Drescher said. “And when I see something I learned I can remember, ‘Oh, that’s where that’s from.’”

“I am just excited to see the animals,” Josh Majerus, another fifth-grader, added.

When the trip is done, 60 pounds of hamburger and 200 miles later, the trip will have been more than just fun and education.

“We’ve had children that have never been outside the area so that’s an adventure in itself,” said Hallman. “Tears have been shed before but it’s a growing up thing and that’s pretty cool.”

The chili supper and bake sale will be held at Alden-Conger School from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26.