BCI values youth and adult conservation education. We are working in partnership with local schools to develop wildlife-centric activities and programs that target young school children. We are also developing community science programs that engage youth and adults in conservation and science initiatives.
The Need
Maasai families may struggle to send their children to school because of the expense of boarding schools and lack of local schools. The education issue disproportionately affects girls because boys are often prioritized.
Coupled with access to education issues is the lack of training in conservation when students are in school. Despite the prevalence of wildlife and wildlife encounters in and around Maasai villages, young students are rarely exposed to curriculum focused on wildlife biology, management, and conflict mitigation.
Our Contribution
We began addressing issues surrounding youth education by raising tuition funds to send girls to boarding schools. When girls have access to education, they are better equipped to make decisions about their own lives and families.
As we continued to work with the Maasai, we heard a need for wildlife-focused curriculum in local schools. We are working with Board of Directors member Joseph Logela Melita, who has young children enrolled in local schools, to develop curriculum for the youngest students to begin learning about their local wildlife. We are also contributing to a community library of local flora and fauna field guides.
Our Results
As of 2017, we sponsored 107 girls to attend boarding schools. We also developed a field journal for students to observe giraffes, and are adapting that journal for an even younger audience. Through Board member Joseph Logela Melita, we partnered directly with the Elui School in Amboseli to disperse a conservation curriculum.
When we keep children in school and expose them to science, specifically wildlife biology, they begin to imagine themselves as ecotourism guides, wildlife biologists, and human-wildlife conflict managers. By the time they complete high school, these career opportunities are known and possible for students.
Next Steps
We continue to strengthen our relationship with the schools in Amboseli. Our focus moving forward is to develop the conservation curriculum such that it becomes a model school for teaching conservation and wildlife biology to young audiences.
We are also working toward developing programs that engage adults with wildlife and natural resources education. The Amboseli Guide School and Twiga Trackers program exemplify this goal of making wildlife accessable to all community members.
