Standards and Policies for Conservation Educators

Accreditation Standards for Conservation Education

Zoo and aquarium members of AZA must meet the AZA Accreditation Standards, which require that education be central to an institution's mission. All accredited zoos and aquarium must develop a written education plan and regularly evaluate their education programs.

Read the Educational and Interpretive Programs section in the Guide to Accreditation of Zoological Parks and Aquariums and Accreditation Standards (in PDF) for detailed information on education standards.

Conservation Messages

These Conservation Messages were developed by the Conservation Education Committee and approved by the AZA board as appropriate to the conservation education mission of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums.

Program Animals

Program animals are an important and powerful educational tool that provides a variety of benefits to zoo and aquarium educators seeking to convey cognitive and affective messages about conservation and wildlife. Read the AZA Board-approved Policy, CEC Position Statement, recommendations for developing an institutional policy, and find examples of animal handling and demonstration policies in the Resource Center.

Board-approved Policies

See also the full list of AZA Board-approved Policies for information about Animal Contact, Acquisition / Disposition, and other policies of interest to educators.