A high school at the zoo!

I rarely wish to be 14 again, but I certainly did when I read this news today, that N.C. Zoo and the Asheboro City Schools have just started something called AHS Zoo School. As Russ Williams explains:

"Students have unprecedented access to a 1500-acre, world-class facility ideal for environmental and biological exploration. Beyond routine science, the zoo offers relevant experiences in zoology, horticulture, marketing, retail, hospitality and art as well as wildlife and plant conservation and research. The AHS program is only the fourth zoo school in the country with similar schools located in Nebraska, Ohio, and Minnesota. The first 100 AHS students officially began classes August 27th."

"Based on a model from Lincoln, Nebraska, students in the AHS Zoo School attend one morning class at the AHS campus in Asheboro then travel to classrooms and lab facilities at the N.C. Zoo for the remainder of their classes in science, English, mathematics and social studies. Students become actively involved in learning through problem solving and using the zoo as their classroom."

"AHS Zoo School teachers collaborate with N.C. Zoo educators and other zoo staff to allow students to experience science on a daily basis."

"The AHS Zoo School is a science-focused program for...students in grades 10, 11 and 12 to experience high school in a completely different way."

Now how cool is that!?