News and Stories

Picture your high school experience…. Most people would think of a building filled with classrooms but what if it also included a botanical garden, an elephant habitat, and research laboratory?!  This is the reality for 50 high school students who attend the Zoo Academy – a Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) in Cincinnati, Ohio!

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Zoo Academy is a STEM program that gives high school juniors and seniors hands on learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. For the first time this year, CPS is opening spaces to rising junior applicants from all CPS high schools.

The Zoo Academy provides CPS Juniors and Seniors the opportunity to continue their high school education on Cincinnati Zoo grounds in immersive lab experiences.  Giving them firsthand opportunities to delve into biology, conservation, horticulture, sustainability, environmental education, and more. The Zoo Academy collaborates with departments throughout the zoo to provide authentic and impactful learning and skill building experiences. Students are able to get credentials for the National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER), Plant Science, Environmental Science, Intro to Vet Science, and can get college credits for University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati State.

Even though the Zoo Academy is at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, students will retain enrollment in their current CPS high school, allowing them to graduate from that school and continue to participate in sports and other extracurriculars.

Do you know a CPS learner interested in this opportunity? Apply by February 26th!