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Zoo-Mates took shape in 2006 as a collaboration between the Center for Community Engagement at the University of Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Zoo, and Project Connect, an agency that serves children experiencing homelessness in Cincinnati Public Schools.  Now in its fourth year, Zoo-Mates pairs 30 UC students with 30 children experiencing homelessness for yearlong mentoring relationships. 

The mentors, University of Cincinnati students of every major and class level, commit to the Zoo-Mates program for a full academic year.  They are paired one-on-one with a child to mentor throughout the year, with the possibility of continuing this relationship into the future.  At the beginning of the program year, Zoo-Mates volunteers participate in trainings on the best practices of mentoring and the impact of poverty and homelessness on the lives of children.

This year, the Zoo-Mates children all attend the same Cincinnati Public School and range in age from kindergarten to eighth grade.  Many of the children are siblings.  While children experiencing homelessness may not sleep on the streets, some live in shelters, temporary housing, or with relatives or family friends, and they all lack permanent, stable homes.  Project Connect commits to assisting the families throughout the school year, specifically focusing on keeping the children enrolled in one school throughout a family’s many transitions.

Zoo-Mates mentors and mentees meet once a week, both at the Cincinnati Zoo and at the children’s school or elsewhere in the community.  At the Zoo, the Zoo-Mates pairs meet ambassador animals, tour the facilities behind the scenes, and explore together.  We even spent the night during an exciting Nocturnal Adventure!  During Zoo-Mates outings at the children’s school, we play games, craft art project, and learn about science through fun experiments.  Our outings are full of smiles, stories, and energy!

Stories from our mentoring activities and the best photos from this year’s Zoo-Mates outings are available on our program blog:

http://zoomates.blogspot.com/

For the 2008-2009 academic year, the Zoo-Mates program adopted a service-learning component in partnership with UC’s School of Social Work.  Social work students enrolled in a three-quarter sequence of courses, covering Families in America, Poverty in America, and a Service Learning Seminar, participate in Zoo-Mates as mentors and use this experience as a framework for understanding and reflecting on the material they learn in class.  This year, one-third of the mentors are earning college credit and engaging in active reflection of their Zoo-Mates experiences through the social work service learning sequence.

"This is my second year being involved in Zoo Mates. I always look forward to going to the Zoo and seeing all of the kids smiling and ready to have a good time. Being a mentor is one of the best things I have ever done. My relationship with my mentee has definitely grown a lot. At the end of the day, I am in a better mood and happier because of the interactions I have had with the kids. It feels great knowing that I have done something good by being a positive role model in a child's life."     -- Corey, sophomore business major

"This is my first year being part of the Zoo-Mates program and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. The best thing about Zoo-Mate is the bond that I have developed with my mentee.  He has become like a little brother to me. Being a mentor has help me learn more about myself while making a difference in a child’s life. Spending time with all the children exploring the zoo makes me feel like a little kid again. Zoo-Mates has definitely enhanced my experience at the University of Cincinnati."      -- Paul, freshman, College of Allied Health Sciences

Related Links:

• Zoo-Mates blog!
• Center for Community Engagement
• Project Connect
• Cincinnati Zoo

* YouTube video views since this project was published at TrueHero.com