The ZOOMS Design Challenge involved redesigning the exhibit for a trio of Malayan tapirs.
The ZOOMS Design Challenge involved redesigning the exhibit for a trio of Malayan tapirs. Credit: Minnesota Zoo

In fall 2013, I was looking for hands-on learning engineering opportunities for my fourth-grade students. By complete chance, I stumbled upon a then-brand-new opportunity through the Minnesota Zoo: the ZOOMS STEM Design Challenge, presented by Flint Hills Resources. A full decade later, I am proud to say that my classroom has participated every year since.

ZOOMS provides students real-life science challenges that zookeepers experience at the Minnesota Zoo. Each year a new animal is featured and students are tasked to build a prototype enrichment or design improvements for the animals’ exhibits.

Students work together to research, design and produce real models using STEM concepts. At the end of the year, the winners have the chance to present their work to Minnesota Zoo staff and volunteer judges from Flint Hills. It’s fun to see the pride on the students’ faces when they present their work to the experts!

Year after year, my students have loved ZOOMS because it offers learning experiences that don’t exist in traditional classroom curriculum. It teaches the kids to follow the engineering and design process in a meaningful and practical way. Beyond their original creative ideas, they also have to implement them and work through challenges — similar to the problem-solving skills that engineers use each day.

They also get to see firsthand that STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) is all around them, even in a place like the zoo. ZOOMS shows that engineering careers can be anywhere. Zookeepers and zoologists do so much more than feed animals and keep them healthy. When my students go to the zoo, they look at things differently after participating in this program.

Jeff Clear
[image_caption]Jeff Clear[/image_caption]
As Minnesota educators and parents, we are so fortunate to have this nationally-recognized program in our own backyard. Since its beginnings in 2013 (when students from my very own classroom won the challenge), I’ve enjoyed seeing ZOOMS grow to what it is today, with thousands of student participants from hundreds of classrooms.

This year’s challenge is focused on the prairie dog and bison exhibits at the new Treetop Trail, and my students are already excited. I encourage teachers of grades three through 12 to get to know ZOOMS and share this amazing experience with their students.

Jeff Clear is an elementary school teacher in Woodbury.