Gifted Students Environmental Education Program

Hello valued supporters. The new academic year has begun and this year 12 students from 5 high schools in and around Jerusalem are participating in this unique program that allows high school seniors to conduct scientific research as part of the their high school graduation studies.

The program is supervised by the Ministry of Education and research projects are independently evaluated to ensure the maintenance of the highest possible standard.

The year began with a lecture by Dr. Noam Werner, Zoo Curator and Zoologist, on the history of zoos and students will have a number of sessions where they are guided around the zoo by senior staff members who will introduce them to the zoological collection, current scientific research being conducted here, and the many wildlife conservation programs in which we participate.

Once the introductory portion of the program is complete, students will choose their research topics for the year and will be assigned an appropriate research supervisor.

Your generous support enables students like these to realize their potential and to live their dreams. Thank you!

Hello valued supporters. We are pleased to share with you the personal story of one of our graduates, written in his own words:

My name is Akiva and I am an 18-year old high school graduate living in Jerusalem, Israel. It is my dream to work with animals and help protect their natural habitats so that we may live side by side with these extraordinary beings.

During the past year-and-a-half I participated in a program that gives high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to conduct serious academic level research in the field of zoology. The students in the program are guided by leading scientists in the field in order to produce high quality research papers. The program is based at the Jerusalem Zoo, which welcomed us with open arms and became a second home guiding us throughout our research. The program exposed me to the fragility and complexity of the natural world emphasizing the importance of protecting the animal kingdom. I feel that I have a better understanding of the animal world, the threats to it, and the uniqueness of every species. I have no doubt that this program and the Jerusalem Zoo both had a big part to play in developing my understanding of the natural world. I believe that the graduates of this program, me included, will become ambassadors to the world working to protect the animal kingdom. This was a great opportunity for us and I am proud to have been part of such a unique and important program. Following my experience in this program I plan to volunteer this summer at a wildlife ranch in South Africa that works to protect and breed endangered species so that one day they may be released back into the wild. This program had a big part in influencing me to volunteer at this ranch and to pursue a career in the protection of the animal world.

Your generous support enables students like Akiva to realize their potential and to live their dreams. Thank you!