Educational Programs / School Outreach
Helping the Next Generation of Namibians to Care for Their Land
Every year, thousands of school children throughout Namibia, in grades 5-7, participate in CCF’s outreach program. The educational program includes topics such as:
- Namibian predator identification
- Ecological and physiological characteristics of the cheetah
- Problems associated with human/wildlife conflict.
This educational program endeavours to change the traditional attitudes of Namibians towards their environment from one of dominance over nature to a more eco-centric view. The goal is to strengthen national pride in conserving the Namibian ecosystem — and the cheetah — while recognizing the value of Namibia’s natural resources to communities.
This is achieved by dispelling common misunderstandings and building knowledge through environmental education for everyone, no matter how young. Since 1994, CCF’s Education Team has presented to more than 300,000 students through outreach programs at schools and community events throughout Namibia.
The Education Team also presents two-day or longer environmental courses for school groups on site. Importantly, CCF can provide overnight accommodation for visiting students, both in-country and international students.
Working with Teachers
In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, CCF has developed a 100-page, cross-curricular teacher’s resource guide entitled Cheetah: A Predator’s Role in the Ecosystem. This guide has been distributed to schools throughout Namibia, with CCF conducting teacher-training workshops to introduce the guide to teachers, teacher trainers, and volunteer teachers.
As environmental education is taught as an integrated theme in each school’s curriculum, CCF includes packets with resources for various subjects including life sciences, biology, English, social studies, mathematics, physical education, and art.
