Congratulations to 13 amazing young people that graduated tonight as the inaugural class of the ECCO After School Leadership Program at Audubon Zoo. For the last seven months I’ve had the honor of learning with them as their teacher and mentor.
I heard about ECCO (Education, Conservation, and Community Opportunities) at the 2009 Association of Zoos & Aquariums Annual Conference. ECCO started at Tampa Bay’s Lowry Park Zoo, and this year we brought it to Audubon Zoo in New Orleans and Seneca Park Zoo in New York.
Audubon Zoo’s ECCO program is for students entering 8th-11th grade in the fall of 2011. They will meet twice a week after school at the zoo throughout the school year making friends with animals and each other. Interested? Check out Audubon’s website for more information and to request an application.
I can’t believe I forgot about this! Man! I’m so bummed now! I hope that the kids had fun. I’m sure that it was a great event! ECCO rocks and so do you!