Internships or graduate programs can add highly trained and highly motivated staff temporarily for program work or research. Federal and state grants support some zoo and aquarium programs. Contracts with school districts can include cost-sharing of instructors or materials. A few institutions have made notable progress in a short time by fundraising specifically for education. These projects are often organized around renovation of existing facilities or construction of a new education center.
Education is a powerful element that attracts donors to animal exhibits as well.
In some institutions educators are essential members of exhibit development teams. The educator s analytical approach can help mold the volumes of information into effective conservation messages. Educators expertise at audience definition and assessment, defining audiences, selecting methods of exhibit interpretation, careful crafting of conservation messages and evaluation of the exhibit throughout development improve both the exhibit under development and our knowledge about the exhibit development process. Effective sharing of successful ideas and technologies will produce an immediate leap forward. AZA facilitates this sharing in many ways.