Third-graders at Vichy Elementary School let out a collective “Whoa” when Volta, a 20-year-old bald eagle, appeared on stage before their eyes.

Volta is one of the stars for the Alaska Raptor Center, an organization whose workers travel across the country to teach students about the majestic national bird. Seeing a bald eagle up close may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, said Vichy Principal Mark Stephenson, marveling at Volta as he ruffled his feathers just a few feet away.

“We are so grateful to (third-grade teacher Kathy DeBernardi) for doing the work to bring him here,” he said.

When DeBernardi visited the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka, Alaska, last year, she fell in love with the town’s namesake: a bald eagle that had come to the center in 2002, injured after colliding with a car.

After “adopting” Sitka by paying a fee, DeBernardi received curriculum materials to help plan lessons on raptors and their habitats. But DeBernardi wanted more than just a textbook, she wanted a visit from the bird itself.

“What a thrilling experience it would be if I could bring it to school,” DeBernardi remembers thinking.

Through fundraising and a grant from the Gasser Foundation, DeBernardi acquired the $4,500 needed to bring representatives from the center to almost a dozen Napa schools for a week to showcase Volta, another of the center’s birds.

Parents pitched in, too, donating rental apartments for the visitors. One local rental car company offered a discount to the school’s visitors.

“A lot of people worked hard to bring the eagle here, and we’re very fortunate,” said Stephenson.

“It’s so different seeing them in person than just reading about them,” he said, stressing the importance of hands-on experiences for students.

Connor Bates, a third-grader in DeBernardi’s class, was astounded by the bird. “I didn’t think it was going to be that big,” he said. “My favorite part was when he was named after how he got shocked,” he said, referring to the accident that brought Volta to the center — a collision with a high voltage power line. “And I learned he can hunt deer.”

“He’s so cool,” he said.