Students learn about sea turtle anatomy at one of our summer camps.

Editor’s note: We are reflecting on our 12 most impactful moments of 2025. Your support made these incredible stories of rescue, recovery and wonder at your Zoo possible. Thank you. We celebrate what your support made possible – and ask you to help create even more magical moments in 2026. Thanks to our generous matching donors, the first $30,000 in donations will be matched dollar for dollar, making these gifts even more joyous. Learn more here.     

Part of our mission is to enlighten the public about animals and wildlife both inside and outside of our Zoo through meaningful educational experiences. Our Zoo’s education team works hard to connect with our community to teach them lessons in understanding the animal species we share our planet with, as well as how the average person can make a positive impact. From our preschool programs to adult camps, our team shows that at any age, there’s always an opportunity to learn something new at the Zoo. 

This year, our education department worked with 40 Title I schools, offering a variety of programs for all age groups and backgrounds.  

We welcomed over 1,100 participants to our youth summer camps! This was a 46% jump in the number of campers who attended our camps since 2023 and marked a record number of participants. Through these camps, we’re able to connect our local youth to the world around us with outdoor exploratory activities, animal encounters, guided Zoo tours and more. 

We loved welcoming so many campers to our Zoo this year.

We also celebrated a record number of participants (54) at our Zoo School Learning Lab series, an immersive experience which teaches older grades lessons in subjects including STEM, anatomy, physiology and zoology.  

But that’s not all! Our team launched a new STEM and Conservation Lab which travels off-site to bring its lessons straight to the schools. With 56 classes representing 11 different schools, the new lab program shows students how STEM and engineering can be used to solve today’s conservation challenges. 

Another great facet of our education department is our belief that there is no age limit for learning. This year, our team developed new enrichment programs designed for seniors to connect with our mission and the wildlife around us.  

Last but certainly not least, we are celebrating two awards for our education department! We were recently awarded the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Education Impact Award, which recognizes our education program design and ability to promote our outstanding conservation knowledge. We are so proud to receive this honor!  

We’re happy to share that our Zoo has also been selected as Florida’s nominee for the Edward Zigler Innovation Award. This recognition will now advance to the Region IV Head Start Association (RIVHSA) Awards and Scholarship Program for further consideration, with the possibility of moving on to the national level. This year’s conference theme, “Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future,” celebrates the legacy of early childhood excellence and the visionary leaders who continue to elevate our mission, said Andrea Aubert, our Zoo’s senior manager of school and community learning.  

“Our Zoo embodies this spirit through our innovative partnership,” Andrea said. “This is a great accomplishment since we have been doing this program for 12 years!” 

Brevard Zoo is an independent, not-for-profit organization that receives no recurring government funding for our operating costs. Your generous support enables us to continue to serve our community and continue our vital animal wellness, education and conservation programs.