Big News! with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound

Woodland Park Zoo is excited to announce a new partnership program, Building Conservation Identity through Youth Mentoring, in collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound!

Made possible in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Woodland Park Zoo and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound will join efforts to engage King County youth in conservation action and environmental learning.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound creates and supports one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Over the next two years, up to 75 mentor and mentee pairs of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound will participate in monthly opportunities developed in partnership with Woodland Park Zoo that strengthen their relationships to each other, to the local environment and to their own conservation identity. From “EnvironMentoring” lessons covering topics such as native species and conservation-related careers, to service events restoring local green spaces, to friendly competitions on conservation themes, this dynamic programming will help foster lifelong connections to the environment. Every step of the way, adult mentors will help support and reinforce youths’ learning and personal growth.

Younger generations represent our future scientists, stewards, and policymakers and play a critical role in creating positive social and environmental change. By merging Woodland Park Zoo’s expertise in conservation education with Big Brothers Big Sisters' expertise in supportive, caring, one-to-one mentoring relationships, Building Conservation Identity through Youth Mentoring will encourage youth to get outdoors, interact with nature and take conservation action. This exciting new program is just one of many ways that Woodland Park Zoo is living our mission to save wildlife and inspire everyone to make conversation a priority in their lives. To stay up to date on future opportunities related to this project, including mentor and mentee opportunities, contact Lidia Sanchez, Program Manager at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, at Lidia.Sanchez@bbbsps.org.