High school sophomores and juniors interested in conservation careers to help people and wildlife are invited to apply to the Brandywine Zoo’s Conservation Leadership Academy. The aim of the Conservation Leadership Academy is to build leaderships skills in teens, assist them to make a positive impact in the community to advance conservation, and expand minds. There is no fee. Applications are due by January 31. Students will earn a certificate of completion along with a cash award upon program completion. Bus passes are available for students in need of transportation.
For more information and to access the application, go to Brandywine Zoo’s Conservation Leadership Academy.
This program involves monthly trainings, each with a different conservation theme, such as environmental justice, human-wildlife conflict, healthy habitats, and diversity, equity, access, and inclusion. Service-learning opportunities will take place on the same day as the monthly training between February and October.
The teens will also design their own projects and participate in service opportunities designed to increase awareness of conservation through community-based methods. Some funding is available for these student projects. Teens will engage a community of their choosing (i.e. neighbors, school, church, etc.) in an event or program of their own design. The project should result in increased environmentally responsible behaviors in their community, healthier habitats, heightened public awareness of a particular topic, or reduced human-wildlife conflicts in urban areas.
Once selected for the program, participants must attend 7 of the 9 trainings listed below. Plan for 2 hours per training date, followed by a service-learning opportunity spanning 3-4 hours. The trainings will occur at the Brandywine Zoo unless otherwise specified.
2022 SCHEDULE OF TRAININGS
February 19 – Be Bird Friendly
March 20 – Water Conservation
April 24 – Climate Change
May 21 – Backyard Habitats
June 25 – Diversity and Inclusion in Conservation
July 23 – Plastic Pollution
August 20 – Human-wildlife Conflict
September 18 – Wildlife Field Research/Citizen Science
October 15 – Indigenous Voices in Conservation
Brandywine Zoo is located at 1001 North Park Drive, Wilmington, Delaware. For general information, call 302-571-7747 or go online, www.brandywinezoo.org. The Brandywine Zoo is managed by the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation with the support of the Delaware Zoological Society.
To learn more about the Conservation Leadership Academy, visit the website at https://brandywinezoo.org/conservation/conservation-leadership-academy/