The Akron Zoo is partnering with Canton City School District preschools through a first-of-its-kind program focused on developing social emotional intelligence and literacy. Zoo staff members visit preschool classrooms with animals and read books to the students. Zoo spokesperson Elena Bell says bringing animals into classrooms helps students reflect on how they relate to other people.
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Students will take a field trip to the Akron Zoo at the end of the school year. Canton City Schools reached out to the Zoo with the idea for the collaboration. The program is funded by a gift from the PNC Foundation.
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