REALIZE: Our members help us realize our mission and vision every day!
Mission
The International Zoo Educators Association (IZE) is a trusted leader for conservation education professionals, dedicated to guiding zoos, aquariums and other conservation organisations to achieve educational and social outcomes crucial to their organisational missions.
Vision
Multiplying the educational impact of zoos and aquariums worldwide.
As our current focus, we aim to deliver on our vision by:
- Providing leadership for conservation education professionals in social change for biodiversity conservation
- Evolving into a truly international membership organisation
- Supporting our diverse members’ needs to meet the recommendations in the World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Education Strategy (WZACES)
- Strengthening our partnerships and leveraging collaborations
- Advancing diversity, equity, access and inclusion practice and culture within our profession
Who We Are
IZE is both an organization and its members.
Who we are as an association
Guided by its Board of Directors, IZE supports an international community of conservation education professionals, provides strategic direction for advancing the field, and builds capacity for social change.
Who we are as a community
IZE is a global network of conservation educators connected through our passion for wildlife and desire to work with society to save biodiversity.
Guiding principles for our board:
Advocate
We use our unique position to advocate for the value of education in zoos, aquariums, and other wildlife conservation organizations.
Collaboration
We strengthen our partnerships and leverage collaborations with other like-minded organizations to ignite change together and amplify the impact of conservation education.
Evidence based
We are data driven and use evidence to guide our efforts around advancing best practices in conservation education.
Values for our community:
Optimism
We are solutions focused and act with hope. We believe in the potential for good outcomes for people and nature! We are not blind to the issues, but we are determined in our pursuit of supporting positive change.
Innovation
We pride ourselves in being leaders in conservation education and look for strategies, methods, and technologies to make a difference for people and wildlife.
Passion
Sharing the joy and diversity of nature, we foster understanding, inspiration, empathy, advocacy, and action for people and the natural world through conservation education programs.