Educators
School Programs at the Zoo
Enrich your class field trip to the zoo with an educational program. Our inquiry- and standards-based curricula take advantage of the Zoo’s naturalistic exhibits and allow students up-close encounters with animals from the Zoo’s unmatched educational animal collection in a supervised environment.
Educational Materials
The Education Division of the Wildlife Conservation Society has developed award-winning educational materials for teachers of grades K–12. These materials use the motivating power of wildlife to bring science alive in your classroom and integrate visits to zoos, aquariums, and parks into your curriculum
Professional Development at the Zoos and Aquarium
The Education Division of WCS offers teacher courses throughout the year, on weekends as well as during vacations, at all five WCS parks across the city. All courses provide new teacher credit and many can be taken for graduate credits from area colleges or P credits from the NYC Board of Education.
Educator Resources
Courses for teachers and lesson plans for use with grades K-12 developed by the Education Division of WCS have won awards from leading and prestigious organizations such as the U.S. Department of Education, Association of Educational Publishers, and Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Online Professional Development
Through convenient online and hybrid in-person and online programs, we are reaching new audiences of busy educators. Courses include books, kits, and other educational materials to use in the classroom. Our online courses are also a great way for you to connect your students to educators around the country and throughout the world!
Distance Learning
Take your students on a trip to the zoo without leaving the classroom! Using two-way videoconferencing technology, the Bronx Zoo’s Distance Learning Expeditions bring live, engaging programs directly to your K–12 class. Programs include extensive teacher support materials.
Wildlife Conservation Society/Fordham University Masters in Education
The Education Division of WCS and the Fordham University Graduate School of Education offer a joint degree program leading to a Master of Science in Education and New York State Initial Teacher Certification in adolescent science education (biology grades 7–12). Coursework is split between Fordham’s Bronx campus and the Bronx Zoo. Download the brochure for more information.
Bronx Zoo Teaching Fellowships
The Bronx Zoo Education Department’s Teaching Fellowship program is a unique opportunity for college students, recent graduates, and graduate students to explore conservation education in-depth. Fellows acquire the skills needed to provide a wildlife classroom that invites and fosters student-directed learning, and learn pertinent information about conservation issues with a global impact. Particular emphasis is placed on the Wildlife Conservation Society’s efforts to protect wildlife and wild lands.
Bronx Zoo Volunteer Program
The Bronx Zoo offers two volunteer programs. As a docent with the Friends of the Zoo, you’ll help out the Education Department by leading schoolchildren and other groups on guided tours of exhibits and assisting in our environmental education programs. As a volunteer ambassador, you’ll work with the Guest Relations Department to help provide the best possible guest experience to our zoo visitors.