Brookfield ZOO will build staff capacity to deliver conservation education programming to ZOO visitors and program participants

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded The Chicago Zoological Society (Brookfield Zoo) $618,939 on September 1, 2026, under the Museums for America program (CFDA 45.301) to build staff capacity in conservation education delivery.

Brookfield Zoo will conduct professional development workshops for education staff, adult volunteers, and teenage science conservation scholars to strengthen their facilitation skills for public conservation programming. The project will develop institutional capacity-building resources including written frameworks, workshop curricula, and practice-based techniques designed to connect conservation themes, educational practice, and zoo exhibits. Participants will apply workshop learnings to current exhibits and public programs. The deliverable toolkit will provide methods for increasing science and conservation knowledge through zoo education and interpretation while building staff confidence and organizational capacity.

Performance takes place in Brookfield, Illinois, with a period of performance through February 29, 2028.

Education staff, adult volunteers, and teenage science conservation scholars will participate in professional development workshops to improve their facilitation skills for public programs about conservation. The project will generate institutional capacity-building resources including written frameworks and workshop- and practice-based techniques to amplify talent and link conservation themes, educational practice, and ZOO exhibits. Participants will implement their workshop learnings by connecting project materials to current exhibits and public programming. As a result of the project, staff will develop a toolkit for increasing science and conservation knowledge through ZOO education and interpretation, while supporting positive changes in knowledge, skills, and confidence across the organization.