Youth Volunteer Interpreters as Facilitators of Learning about Climate Change in Zoo Settings

Youth Volunteer Interpreters as Facilitators of Learning about Climate Change in Zoo Settings reports on a project to pilot test climate change education resources featuring youth volunteer interpreters as facilitators for zoo visitors’ experiences. Brookfield Zoo tested inquiry-based and specimen-based interpretation at the polar bear and Humboldt penguin exhibits, and Woodland Park Zoo tested a climate-change themed "activity cart" near their Sumatran tiger exhibit. Both the effects of youth volunteer interpretation on the zoo visitors and on the youth volunteer interpreters themselves were measured. Results indicate that youth volunteer interpreters can be effective facilitators of learning about climate change in zoo settings. Additionally, providing an inquiry activity focused on climate change may help visitors reflect on the issue of climate change and consider taking action. Furthermore, youth volunteer interpreters experienced gains in self perception, confidence, knowledge, the strength of their convictions that climate change is happening, and the frequency of their conservation behaviors.