For the fourth consecutive funding round, Wellington Zoo has renewed its contract with the Ministry of Education to provide high-quality Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom (LEOTC) programming. Over 14,000 primary, secondary, preschool and tertiary students came to the Zoo for an educational experience. The Zoo’s Learning Team continues to develop the programme, focusing on multi-sensory interactive learning. Students coming to the ‘Living Room’ (the Zoo’s educational room) often encounter Billy the Blue-tongue skink, Ricky and Jose the chinchillas, or, if they are fortunate, George the cockatoo.

This year the Learning Team offered a full-day teacher’s workshop to support the NCEA biology curriculum, specifically Primate Evolution. Wellington Zoo is an excellent living classroom, having the largest primate collection in New Zealand. In addition, Zoo staff serve as resources for teachers when they return to the classroom.

Wellington Zoo continues to be widely used by local schools: since 2002, 70 percent of all Wellington schools have visited the Zoo for an educational experience. This year there was an increase in the number of schools from the Manawatu and Canterbury region, a testament to the great educational value the Zoo provides.

Holiday Programme

Wellington Zoo continues to offer an exciting school holiday programme during the three term breaks. Up to thirty children, from six to 10 years old spend the day meeting Zoo staff and exploring the Zoo behind the scenes. A favourite day in the April 2006 holiday programme was Lights, Camera, Action!, where children made their own commercials for the Zoo.