About the Education Award
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums recognizes outstanding achievement in educational program design judging programs on their ability to promote conservation knowledge, attitudes and behavior, show innovation, and measure success. Note: Awards will be presented in two categories based on institutional budget (budgets less than $5 million and budgets of $5 million or more).
New this year is a TIP sheet at the end of the Guidelines with recommendations from former reviewers to assist applicants in developing their submissions.
If there is any question as to what constitutes an eligible project, please email Rick Barongi, Honors and Awards Committee Chairman, or call 713-533-6801.
How to Submit an Application
Download the Education Award application (in DOC)
Read the Guidelines for Submission (in PDF)
Remember to submit a Media Release Form (in DOC) with your application.
All Honors and Awards applications must be submitted in electronic format ONLY and must be compiled into one PDF file. Please make sure the file name reflects both the award name and the institution.
AZA has contracted with WEBCARGO to provide a quick and easy way for you to submit your application. Click here to send your application via WEBCARGO.
Past Recipients
To see past recipients' application materials, member log in required.
2012 TOP HONORS (institutional budget less than $5 million)
Potter Park Zoo for BIG Zoo Lesson
2012 TOP HONORS (institutional budget more than $5 million)
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for African Elephant Crossing Education Program
Wildlife Conservation Society for Online Teacher Academy
2012 Significant Achievement (institutional budget more than $5 million)
Chicago Zoological Society / Brookfield Zoo for Centers of Science Excellence
2011 Top Honors
Woodland Park Zoo - Ready, Set, Discover
2011 Significant Achievement
CZS / Brookfield Zoo - Nature Start: Early Childhood Nature Program
Lincoln Park Zoo - Young Researchers Collaborative
2010 Top Honors
Minnesota Zoo - WolfQuest
Wildlife Conservation Society - Urban Assembly School for Wildlife Conservation
2010 Significant Achievement
Detroit Zoological Society - City Critters--An Educational Collaboration
2009 Top Honors
Chicago Zoological - Brookfield Zoo — Levels of Engagement
2009 Significant Achievement
Lincoln Park Zoo — Exploring Ape Behavior
2008 Top Honors
Disney's Animal Kingdom — Continuing the Legacy of Conservation Education in African Sanctuaries
2008 Significant Achievement
Woodland Park Zoo — The Cultural Interpreter Programs
Wildlife Conservation Society — Beyond the Campus
2007 Top Honors
Zoo Atlanta — Academy For Conservation Training
2007 Significant Achievement
Seattle Aquarium — Sound Science
2006 Top Honors
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium — Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater
2005 Top Honors
Bronx Zoo — Girls for Planet Earth
2005 Significant Achievement
Brookfield Zoo — Every Student is a Scientist: Using Technology to Foster Inclusive Learning
2004 Top Honors
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
Helping Hands — Teens in Action in the Community
2004 Significant Achievement
Zoo New England — Thinking Outside the Classroom: Zoo New England's Unique Partnership with the Beebe School Program
Philadelphia Zoo — Junior Zoo Apprentice Program
2003 Top Honors
Chicago Zoological Society: To Save a Species — Managing a Captive Population
2003 Significant Achievement
National Aviary — Connecting the Classroom: Educating People About the Wonders of Birds via the World Wide Web
South Carolina Aquarium — Structured School Program
2002 Top Honors
Monterey Bay Aquarium — Splash Zone Education Programs
2002 Significant Achievement
Bronx Zoo / Wildlife Conservation Society — Wildlife Science Careers Program
Houston Zoological Gardens — Project U.S.A.- Urban: Scientists in Action
2001
Bronx Zoo / Wildlife Conservation Society — SPARKS (Support Parents in Advocacy, Reform, and Knowledge in Science)
Woodland Park Zoo — Wild Wise
2000
Seattle Aquarium — Beach Naturalist Program
Bronx Zoo / Wildlife Conservation Society — Congo Gorilla Forest
National Aviary — Red Siskin Program Outreach Program
1999
National Aquarium in Baltimore — Aquarium on Wheels
Oregon Zoo — ZooWatch
1998
Brookfield Zoo — Zoo Adventure Passport
1997
Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Park — Habitat Ecology Learning Program
1996
Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Park — Conservation Education in China
1995
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo — The RainForest Connection
1994
San Francisco Zoological Gardens — A Trail With An Attitude
1993
Los Angeles Zoo — Zoo Discovery Kit
1992
Monterey Bay Aquarium — Live from Monterey Canyon
1991
Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Park — Zoos for Effective Science Teaching
1990
Oregon Zoo — Project S.A.F.E.
1989
National Aquarium in Baltimore — Living in Water
1988
San Diego Zoo — Kopje Exhibit Interpretive Program
1987
Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Park — Diversity of Lifestyles
Philadelphia Zoological Garden — ZooWalk Summer Theater
1986
Cincinnati Zoo — A Future in the World
Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens — Exploring the Tropical Rainforest
San Francisco Zoological Society — Monroe School Zoomobile Project
1985
Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens — Preschool Education Program
National Zoological Park — Herplab
Sea World of California — Sea World Outreach Program
1984
Cincinnati Zoo — Animal & Environmental Learning Experiences and Zoo, Zoo, Zoo
1983
Cincinnati Zoo — Frisch's Discovery Center
Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens — Hands On Zoo
National Aquarium in Baltimore — Outreach Program in Marine and Aquatic Education
1982
Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Park — Close-up on Animals for Exceptional Children
Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens — Dinosaurs, Dodos and You
1981
Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Park — Windows of Wildlife
Fort Worth Zoological Park — A Place for Life
Minnesota Zoological Garden — Institutional Commitment
Oregon Zoo — Creepy Crawler Zoomobile
1980
National Zoological Park — Zoolab
Phoenix Zoo — Zoomobile
Sea World of Ohio — Interworlds: Elementary Age
The Seattle Aquarium — Institutional Commitment
Sedgwick County Zoo — Teacher Project
1978
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum — Mexican Environmental Program
Oregon Zoo — Zoo Days
John G. Shedd Aquarium — Lake Michigan Education Program
Zoo Atlanta — Public Awareness of Reptile Conservation Program