Daily Herald opinion: Brookfield Zoo Chicago offers unique educational opportunity for students
Anyone who had an internship before starting a career in their chosen profession understands the value of that hands-on experience.
Seeing the work done firsthand greatly enhances what students learn from books and lessons and helps fuel their passion for a particular field of study.
It's for that reason that we applaud what Brookfield Zoo Chicago is doing with its King Conservation Leadership Academy.
The King Academy offers a range of educational programs for families, middle school students and teenagers. And in a move that makes the academy even more impressive, it now has a dedicated home inside the zoo's new Gorilla Conservation Center.
The Gorilla Conservation Center is adjacent to “Tropical Forests,” the newly unveiled outdoor primate complex that spans nearly three acres.
Senior writer Katlyn Smith recently provided a first look at the $66 million “Tropical Forests,” which has an outdoor trail that snakes around four areas designed for two gorilla troops, orangutans and smaller primate species. Roughly 2,700 square feet of glass viewing panels allow visitors to come face-to-face with the animals.
Meanwhile, the Gorilla Conservation Center also lets the public get up close to the great apes. The lobby of the new building features a two-story indoor area where visitors can observe gorillas during the cold months and other primates over the summer.
In a story published on Monday, Smith wrote about how the center also serves as a unique learning hub for local high school students in the King Conservation Science Scholars program.
“This program nurtures the next generation of conservation leaders, young people who will carry forward the critical work of protecting biodiversity and restoring our planet's balanced ecosystems,” said Dr. Michael Adkesson, the zoo’s president and CEO.
Through the academy, Smith wrote, teens can explore their career interests with access to the behind-the-scenes world of the zoo.
Ashrith Valluri, a rising senior at Glenbard South High School in Glen Ellyn, observed animal checkups and vaccinations during his career exploration with zoo veterinarians.
In addition to learning about conservation and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects, the students are developing skills that help them prepare them for college and a future career.
Kevin Conley, the zoo’s vice president of education and community engagement, notes that King Academy has “one of the best views, I think, any classroom anywhere ever will have.”
Indeed, the new home for the academy is a cool and exciting environment to educate young people. We fully expect that it will serve to inspire future scientists and conservation leaders for decades to come.