Year 1 End of Year Presentations

Year 2 Explorers Students

Zoo Career Explorers is perfect
​​for students 14 – 18 years old who want to learn more about the diverse and rewarding careers available in Zoos and non-profit organizations.

​Beardsley Zoo’s Career Explorers is a year long program, meeting on Saturdays once a month (usually the 3rd Saturday), from 9:30am–12:00pm. In their first year, teens will participate in career workshops and staff shadow days, develop public presentations and create a year-end project. The career workshops run from January-August and cover 8 departments at the Zoo: animal care, education, administration, horticulture, marketing & development, maintenance, visitor services and vet care. At each workshop, a staff member from the department we are learning about will speak about their job and answer questions. Then, students will participate in an activity that would normally be done by that department (hand out marketing material to zoo guests, make food for the animals, paper-pick the picnic area, work in the greenhouse etc.).

​After this, students will complete a mini-project based on that department that works towards their year-end project. For the mini-projects, each Explorer will choose one animal that will remain their theme for all projects during the career workshops. Some of the projects include exhibit design, creating a zoo diet, developing a training strategy, marketing the arrival of a new Zoo animal, purchasing gift shop stock etc.
 
In September, students will give their first presentation based on the mini projects completed throughout the career workshops. Explorers will present information on their animal covering the proper care, housing, husbandry, marketing, etc. in the Zoo setting. These presentations will be made in front of parents, siblings, and any staff members.
 
In October and November Explorers will have the opportunity to do a half-day job shadow with a staff member in any of the departments covered during the year.
 
At the December meeting, Explorers will present information on one career they learned about during the year. Again, parents, siblings and staff will be invited.

Registration fee is $120. 
Registration closes on March 31st of each calendar year. 

Register for Explorers