Phia Kim-Brookes, ’22, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Phia Kim-Brookes ’22

Major

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Project Title

Teaching Assistant for Conservation Clubs

Presentation Link

View Phia 's Presentation

I taught at 15 schools in Laikipia County, Kenya, for the Northern Kenya Conservation Clubs. I went to a different school every day during and after instruction hours to teach students ranging in age from 8 years old to in their 20s. I often created the day’s lesson from scratch, and choosing the activities and games I could play with my students was fun. I developed creative ways to overcome language barriers, such as by drawing or acting out what I wanted to say, and I figured out how to engage a hesitant audience. I also improved my overall knowledge of conservation and wildlife so that I could better teach about these topics. As someone who values conservation, I found teaching others about the environment to be truly fulfilling. I will continue to teach about conservation for the rest of my life, most likely in more informal settings than what I experienced in Kenya, but surely I will never stop teaching now that I have begun.