The Kouprey Express is a mobile environmental education team that travels Cambodia and raises awareness about wildlife conservation and habitat preservation using public messaging campaigns, student lessons, educator trainings, and community events. Female participation is prioritized to address educational inequalities. By engaging every level of society, Kouprey Express not only reduces demand for the illegal wildlife trade, but also empowers communities to protect their natural resources.
In Cambodia, the adult literacy rate is only ~78%, with women particularly unlikely to receive a formal education. The national public school curriculum does not adequately cover environmental education, and outreach programs for children and rural communities are often neglected due to lack of resources. As the country's population rapidly grows, so do pressures on its limited natural resources. It is vital that communities be empowered with the knowledge they need to protect their environment.
The Kouprey Express travels to rural and urban communities nationwide to raise awareness about wildlife laws, forest conservation, environmental health issues, waste management, pollution, and climate change. It trains educators, provides teaching resources and school supplies, delivers student lessons and Community Night Shows, and organizes field trips, prioritizing female participation. These fun activities inspire communities and young people to make a difference for animals and nature.
The Kouprey Express effects positive change in attitudes toward Cambodian wildlife and habitats - one child, one animal, one tree at a time - in the long-term changing personal and communal behaviors. Cumulatively, the team has already brought environmental education and training to more than 82,000 children and 1,700 teachers in over 360 schools, increased environmental awareness among 280,000 Community Night Show participants, and reached10 million+ through our public messaging campaigns.
