Art of Conservation - Rwanda

Conservation & Health Education

Educating Children, Empowering Communities & Protecting Animals

Art of Conservation (AoC) is dedicated to providing an innovative and comprehensive conservation and health education program for children and educators in rural communities bordering national parks.  

Our extracurricular conservation learning focuses on the importance of protecting the environment and wildlife, with a special emphasis on endangered species.  Lessons include the study of ecosystems, food chains, animal characteristics and behavior, tree planting, and much more.  Students learn about various career path options in conservation and receive special visits from park guides, anti-poaching patrols, the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project's Gorilla Doctors, and others. 

Lessons on staying healthy address the possibility of disease transmission between people and animals living side-by-side at the national park.  We introduce students to basic hygiene practices and convey to students that their health and the heath of the animals they care for is linked to the entire ecosystem in which they are a part of.

Every AoC lesson ends with a conservation-themed art project.  The projects engage students in different forms of artistic expression, such as drawing, painting, performance, among other hands-on activities, to strengthen understanding of concepts in conservation and health. 

Students who participate in our education programs act as conservation and health ambassadors in their communities.