Teacher Advisory Council Application 2026-2027 Survey

Take your professional development to the wild side!

The Zoo is seeking new members to serve on its virtual Teacher Advisory Council, beginning fall 2026. For 2026-2027 council term the Zoo is looking for Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers nationwide to join returning committee members. The council accepts teachers from all over the United States, including US territories.

Commitments and Benefits
Council members serve for a period of one year and will:
- Participate in five full group virtual council meetings, with the possibility of small work group virtual meetings
- Serve in an advisory role to assist with the development and/or review of education programs and resources
- Share feedback about activities and materials with Zoo educators
- Act as a Zoo ambassador in their schools by disseminating information to colleagues and providing teacher feedback to Zoo educators
- Have the opportunity to work with Zoo educators and to be an integral part of conservation education programming
- Receive professional development contact hours toward license recertification (dependent upon state requirements)

Timeline
- Applications accepted June 1 through August 30, 2026
- Notifications of acceptance will be sent mid-September, 2026
- Meetings are virtual, on Zoom, and last 1.5 to 2 hours
- Meetings anticipated to occur weekday evenings in October, November, January, March, and May
- Small group meetings may occur on the off months as needed

Please reach out to nzp-education@si.edu with any questions

1.Please enter your contact information(Required.)

Full Name

School Email Address

Personal Email Address

2.Please enter the information for the school in which you work:(Required.)

Name of School

Address

City/Town

State/Province

Country

ZIP/Postal Code

County, District, or Tribal Nation

Ward (for DCPS)

Title 1 (yes or no)

3.Grade level(s) you teach:(Required.)

4.Subjects you teach / specialization, if applicable:(Required.)

5.Total number of years in service in formal education:(Required.)

6.Have you ever brought your class/school to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo or another zoo/aquarium for a field trip?(Required.)

Yes

Elaborate if you wish:

7.Have you ever participated in a distance learning program (virtual field trip, webinar, etc.) with the National Zoo?(Required.)

Yes

Elaborate if you wish:

8.Have you ever served on an advisory team of this nature before?(Required.)

Yes

Elaborate if you wish:

9.What unique perspective would you bring to the Advisory Council?(Required.)

10.Why does the Smithsonian’s National Zoo excite you as an educator?(Required.)

11.Anything else you'd like us to know?