DCCC Club to Provide Animal Encounters for Lexington's Fourth Graders on Friday, September 23rd

By Myra Thompson
Davidson County Community College

September 20, 2011

The Davidson County Community College Zoo and Aquarium Science Club will offer fourth graders in the Lexington City Schools an "Animal Encounter" on September 23rd as part of the club’s Service Learning Projects Initiative.

DCCC Zoo and Aquarium Science students will work with staff from local exotic animal facilities so Lexington’s fourth graders may experience educational and exciting animal encounters at no cost. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon in the DCCC Conference Center, and animals will include small mammals, reptiles and exotic birds.

“Our club members are able to bridge the gap between fourth grade academic course material and how that material relates to the environment by using live animals to display those relationships,” said Jessica Culbertson, education committee chairman for the DCCC Zoo and Aquarium Science Club.

“When we provide the chance for people to experience exotic animals up-close, we are able to address how living and non-living things relate to each other and the environment," Culbertson added.  She said the Zoo and Aquarium Science Club hopes to expand the animal experience opportunities in the future by adding additional grade levels.

The Zoo and Aquarium Science program combines a rigorous classroom curriculum with extensive internship experiences over five semesters. Graduates earn a two-year degree, and they are prepared for employment in entry-level positions in zoos and aquariums as well as to continue their academic studies at four-year institutions.

Internships experiences may involve educational and hands-on experiences with animal collections in zoological parks, wild animal safari parks, university research facilities or aquarium settings.

For more information, visit www.davidsonccc.edu , or contact Jill Simpson at jbsimpso@davidsonccc.edu, or call her at 336.249.8186, ext. 6231.