Photo credit: Philadelphia Zoo
You are not the only one missing the Philadelphia Zoo – the Philadelphia Zoo misses you too!
In an effort to stay in touch with its visitors and continue to share its love of animals and their environments with you, the Philadelphia Zoo is transforming into the region’s largest living virtual classroom in order to stay connected with its followers!
Philadelphia Zoo recently announced it’s awesome new interactive, online learning program aimed at students from grades K through 4, “Philly Zoo to You,” with curriculum-based activities that will spark students’ curiosity about wildlife & more: http://philadelphiazoo.
In this new virtual program, Philadelphia Zoo will be bringing the Zoo experience directly into the homes of families not just in Philadelphia but around the country and the globe. The program even features a direct line to Zoo experts to answer science questions creating a deeper connection to wildlife discovery.
“The mission of the Zoo is to connect people with wildlife”, says Kristen Waldron, Philadelphia Zoo’s Director of Strategic Initiatives. “When we learned that the Zoo would be temporarily closed to the public we felt it was important to create a new way for our audiences to continue to stay connected with our amazing animals and staff. What sets Philly Zoo to You apart is the combination of the personal exchange with our incredibly passionate staff and volunteers with the joyful discovery we can provide for children and their families. We have a team of experts, most of which are long-time docents of the Zoo who typically this time of year, spend thousands of hours onsite educating and inspiring our audiences. They are former biology, chemistry, social studies and science teachers, principals of schools and above all avid Zoo experts. They are well-informed and thrilled to provide this truly personalized service for students and parents alike.”
How awesome is that?!
The new program includes:
* A mix of science-related resources including animal-themed worksheets, DIY activities and coloring pages that provide loads of fun and learning while highlighting key academic connections to wildlife, habitats and the environment.
* Videos featuring an insider’s look at the Zoo plus virtual interactions with our amazing animals and the dedicated staff who care for them.
* Science@PhillyZoo enables visitors to connect directly with more than 50 Zoo experts who are on hand and prepared to answer any and all science, wildlife and conservation questions in a timely manner.
Highlights on the Zoo Experts facilitating Science@PhillyZoo personalized program:
* In addition to more than 220 years of school teaching experience, the expertise of staff and docents facilitating this program ranges from Master’s degrees in Education and Ecology to backgrounds in animal science, animal biotechnology, zoo science, and wildlife conservation.
* Facilitators have a detailed understanding of the science curriculum standards and are prepared to answer questions on animal adaptations, classification, life cycles, habitats, ecosystems, climate change, extinction and more.
* Nearly half of the Zoo experts have been at the Zoo for more than 10 years and are extremely knowledge about the animals.
Philadelphia Zoo is a consistent resource for teachers and students, with more than 130,000 school children entering through its historic gates annually. With the Zoo currently closed to the public because of restrictions around Covid 19 and students working virtually from their homes, Philly Zoo to You is the best way to continue its dedication to connecting its many audiences with the wonders of wildlife which enriching the learning experience for families everywhere.
For more information, visit www.PhiladelphiaZoo.org. Stay connected through Facebook: PhiladelphiaZoo; Instagram: @philadelphiazoo; Twitter: @phillyzoo.
