Starting January 18, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden will deliver a series of weekly virtual school safaris via its Facebook Teacher Connections Group pageas part of its Living Classroom Education Access Fund (LCEAF) program.
LCEAF is a key education initiative, funded by the Ohio Department of Education and funds raised by the Zoo’s Ambassador Council, to serve underserved youth in the Tri-state area.
“Most of these learners have never been to the Zoo before and School Safaris may be their first experience with our Zoo, animals, and staff,” said Cincinnati Zoo director of education Dan Marsh. “The good news is that joining a school safari doesn’t keep them from coming to the zoo and experiencing the zoo in person at a later date!”
The safaris are 20-minute Facebook live interviews with a keeper, an educator, and some animals. The Facebook live link is on the private Cincinnati Zoo Teacher Connections Facebook page and only accessible to PreK-12th grade classroom and homeschool teachers. Curriculum and educational resources will be provided to the teachers and students.
“Last year, we reached 43,600 area youth from mid-January to the end of March with this virtual series,” said Marsh. “Head and heart are served by this program. LCEAF funding allows us to provide educational resources to the participating classrooms to enrich their learning, on a fundamental level, this is where many children will begin their journey as people that care for and are curious about the rest of the living creatures on our planet.”
School Safaris will take place weekly on Wednesdays at 1:00pm, January 18 through the end of March and are open to qualifying teachers and their students. Visit for more details about eligibility for this programming.
The Cincinnati Zoo’s Living Classroom Education Access Fund has been providing students attending qualifying schools in specific counties in the tri-state with free Zoo visits since 2012.
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