Help children in rural South Africa see wildlife

Since 2021, the Big 5 Schools Collective has introduced hundreds of young learners to the world of wildlife and conservation. What began as a small initiative has grown into a meaningful program that has annually reached over 500 children across 25 early childhood development centres in communities neighbouring conservation areas.

Through storytelling, songs, interactive activities, and unforgettable visits to Dinokeng Game Reserve, learners have been given the opportunity to connect with wildlife in a way that builds both understanding and empathy from a young age. Along the way, the program has also supported job creation within the community and strengthened relationships between people and the natural world around them.

Your support has made all of this possible.

Alongside this work, our conservation education efforts have continued to grow. In partnership with Lessons in Conservation, we developed a program that supports learners in high school, with a focus on more real-world conservation education, and a focus on career opportunities in the field. 

Along the way, we took a step back and looked at how our education programs were working together, and where the gaps were. One stood out clearly. There was no structured link between early childhood learners and those engaging at high school level.

This led to the development of our Cubs to Conservation (C2C) Education Program. 

C2C is a relaunch of our program in partnership with Lessons in Conservation, expanded into a more developed and structured long term approach. It introduces learners to conservation at a young age and continues to support them through high school, where they can take part in wildlife clubs, mentorship opportunities, and hands on experiences. For some, this journey can lead to further training and pathways into conservation related careers.

As this program grows, we are focusing our resources on strengthening this long-term approach. As a result, we will be closing the funding project for the Big 5 Schools Collective project on GlobalGiving, allowing us to direct funding toward the continued development and expansion of C2C. 

The impact of the Big 5 Schools Collective remains an important part of this journey. It has played a key role in introducing young learners to conservation and helping shape the direction of our education work today.

We are deeply grateful for your support in making this possible. Because of you, we are now able to expand our efforts and invest in a program designed to support learners over the long term.