In Bank Street’s Leadership in Museum Education Program, current museum educators prepare to take on leadership roles in the field by learning and experiencing the cutting-edge practices in play at museums across New York City.
While most students enrolled in the program are employed in actual museums, some come from related cultural institutions where the same theories and practices can apply. Juan Rodriguez, for example, comes to Bank Street from Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C., where he has been working as an animal keeper for 15 years, and giant panda keeper for the last five years.
Juan wears many hats in his position— scientist, caretaker, researcher, and trainer, to name a few. But to Juan, one of his most important roles is as an educator. He engages with zoo visitors on a daily basis, either face-to-face or through far-reaching platforms like radio, television, and social media, to enhance their awareness of a critically endangered species such as giant panda and other Asian species. Juan enrolled in the Leadership in Museum Education Program to expand on his practice and find new and effective ways in which he can reach his audience.
“The program has helped me better understand education theory and how to apply those theories as I interact with our visitors,” Juan said. “It’s the perfect fit for my personal and professional development, especially as I prepare for leadership roles at the zoo that focus on education and public engagement.”
Juan serves as an educator to a diverse group of zoo visitors daily, but another part of Juan’s role stems from his commitment to increasing diversity at the National Zoo. The zoological profession, in general, lacks minority participation, and growing up Latino, Juan feels it is important to give back to these communities. In 2011, he institutionalized the YES! Program at the National Zoo, where high school students from underserved communities complete an internship that allows them to explore science-related careers in zoology. Juan launched the YES! Program with the help of Bank Street alumna Shari Werb, (GSE ‘00), who established the program at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
“By creating these pipelines to success for our youth, we can have a direct impact on increasing minority populations within the profession,” Juan said.
Growing up in Washington, DC, Juan never had access to such programs. He assumed that veterinary medicine was the only career path available that would allow him to work with animals. Ironically, while working at a veterinary hospital in college, one of his colleagues told him about a volunteer opportunity as an animal keeper aide at Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Through volunteering, he discovered several career paths within the zoological field that he never knew existed.
“Now, after 15 years in the profession, I’ve taken it upon myself to pay it forward and find ways to educate our young generations about career opportunities in a lesser known field. With Bank Street’s Leadership in Museum Education Program, I intend to push the envelope to provide access and opportunities to our visitors at the zoo, but most importantly, to our younger generation as the leaders of tomorrow.”
Learn more about Bank Street’s Leadership in Museum Education Program.