By Susan Gallagher
Nearly 40 North St. Louis County campers, age 5 to 13, learned about disaster preparedness and the life of penguins and other animals, when the American Red Cross and Saint Louis Zoo joined forces recently to offer a program for the campers from Strength and Honor Mentoring and Tutoring (SAH).
Albert Harrold founded SAH---a mentoring and tutoring program for deserving youth in North County--to build character and improve study skills. The organization began as an all-boys summer camp in 2011.
In a session led by the American Red Cross Missouri Arkansas Executive Director Beth Elder, the campers saw an activity book titled Prepare with Pedro on a big screen. Each child received this activity book featuring Pedro, the penguin, who guides children through preparedness activities for a range of disasters. It also offers good old-fashioned penguin fun!
Elders discussed the importance of installing and testing smoke alarms. She talked about preparing and practicing a family escape plan and building an emergency supply kit—plus all the things to do in case of a fire.
The children learned more about coping skills during emergencies and preparing for fires from Red Cross Disaster Program Specialist Karla Templeton, who offered an abbreviated version of a program the Red Cross brings to a range of schools and organizations across the region—the Pillowcase Project. Red Cross volunteers lead students through a “Learn, Practice, Share” framework to engage them in disaster preparedness and survival skills. Upon completion, each student receives a sturdy pillowcase for building a personal emergency supply kit.
After Red Cross experts covered disaster safety tips, Saint Louis Zoo Conservation Education Liaisons Emily Bowling and Keri Lammering answered a range of questions children had about Zoo animals and offered a wealth of information about penguins. The Zoo staff conducted a session with live penguins seen through a Zoom connection. Then the children visited the Zoo—checking out a new baby chimpanzee and the flamingos. They also enjoyed seeing the penguins at Penguin and Puffin Coast, where they could meet a Humboldt penguin named Pedro!
“The children loved visiting the Zoo—something they do not get to do often, and the entire educational experience was important for them,” said Harrold. ““In our programming, we want to plant seeds for future career choices for the many children who grow up with few resources – so they can thrive as adults. Our goal is the give them opportunities they have never experienced. Seeing these talented professionals share their knowledge about the animals may encourage a child to consider becoming a veterinarian or to work at the Zoo in some capacity. Hearing about the importance of fire safety may encourage a child to consider becoming a firefighter. Just going to the Zoo helps them realize the importance of conserving wild animals and wild places.”