Modeling Zoos and Aquariums as Inclusive Communities of Science (MoZAICS) Project
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, in collaboration with Oregon State University’s STEM Research Center and the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, received funding from the National Science Foundation’s Advancing Informal STEM Learning to support the Modeling Zoos and Aquariums as Inclusive Communities of Science (MoZAICS) project. MoZAICS focuses on developing an evidence-based framework of inclusive practices for zoos and aquariums to support science learning for individuals with autism across the full aquarium and zoo experience including the general visit, programs, exhibits, internships, volunteering, and employment opportunities. The project will also support building a community of practice of zoo and aquarium practitioners dedicated to the comprehensive inclusion of autistic individuals and toward building an overall strategy of inclusion across the AZA community.
Over the four-year project duration, MoZAICS will develop a research-informed framework, tools and strategic vision for zoo/aquarium practitioners and institutions to support autistic individuals across the full spectrum of the zoo/aquarium experience including the general visit; exhibits; programs and events; and volunteer, internship and employment opportunities. The project is designed as two phases:
- Research and development of a framework of inclusive practices and tools for supporting autistic individuals and
- Expand a network of early adopters to build a community of practice around inclusive practices and an overall implementation strategy.
The framework will be informed through a state of the field study across the zoo and aquarium field that includes a landscape study and needs assessment as well as a review of literature that synthesizes existing research across disciplines for developing inclusive practices for autistic individuals in zoos and aquariums. The second phase of the study will focus on sharing the framework and tools with practitioners across the aquarium and zoo field for feedback and reflection to develop an overall strategy for broader implementation and expanding the existing network of zoo and aquarium professionals to build a community of practice dedicated to the comprehensive inclusion of autistic individuals across the full aquarium and zoo experience. A process evaluation conducted as part of MoZAICS will explore how the approach taken in this project may be more broadly applied in understanding and advancing inclusion for other audiences historically underserved or marginalized by zoos and aquariums.
The MoZAICS project represents one of the first of its kind to support autistic audiences within the zoo/aquarium context and is the first to look at the full experience of autistic patrons to zoos and aquariums across programs/events, exhibits, volunteering, internship, and employment opportunities.
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View our poster on initial insights from the autism community study.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 2116026. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Kelly Riedinger, Ph.D. – Senior Research & Program Lead in Informal, K-12 and Connected Learning, STEM Research Center at Oregon State University
Lauren Weaver, M.S., BCBA, LBA-TN – Director of Community Engagement, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s TRIAD
Kari Hart - Director, Professional Development and Education, AZA
Victoria Bonebrake, M.A. – Research Associate, Reimagine Research Group
Blaire Donnelly-Mason, CTRS, MSRLS – Program Manager, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s TRIAD
Jennifer Garcia - MoZAICS Coordinator, Association of Zoos & Aquariums
Brian Johnson, Ph.D. – Co-founder, Inform Evaluation & Research
Joy Kubarek, Ph.D. – Co-founder, Inform Evaluation & Research
Ashley Neybert - Oregon State University
RoJamie Oyenuga - Research Affiliate, Reimagine Research
Victoria Sellers - Researcher, Oregon State University
Zachary Williams, B.S. – MD/Ph.D. Candidate in Neuroscience and Hearing & Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University
Emelyne Bingham, DMA – Principal Senior Lecturer in Music Theory and Cognition, Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University
Louise Bradshaw – Director of Education (Retired), Saint Louis Zoo
Karen Burns – Guest Engagement Supervisor, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Chad Fifer – President and CEO, Aquarium of Niagara
Dr. Kaite Gotham – Assistant Professor, Rowan University
Dana Murphy – VP Learning & Community Engagement, Lincoln Park Zoo
Dr. Kristie Patten – Vice Dean of Academic Affairs; Professor of Occupational Therapy, New York University
Grayson Ponti – Founder/President, Zoos and Aquariums for a Neurodiverse Ecosystem (ZANE)
Christine Reich, Ph.D. – Chief Learning Officer, Museum of Science
Mandy Rispoli, Ph.D., BCBA-D – Quantitative Foundation Bicentennial Professor, University of Virginia
Amy Rutherford – Vice President, Learning and Engagement at Audubon Nature Institute and Managing Director, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center
Dr. Zachary Warren – Executive Director, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center’s TRIAD
Keith Winsten – Executive Director, Brevard Zoo
Aquarium of Niagara
Birmingham Zoo
Brevard Zoo
Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoo
Mystic Aquarium
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Saint Louis Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Woodland Park Zoo
Akron Zoological Park
Albuquerque Biological Park
Aquarium of the Pacific
Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Birmingham Zoo
Blank Park Zoo
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
Brevard Zoo
Buttonwood Park Zoo
Central Florida Zoological Park
Central Park Zoo
Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Park
Dallas Zoo
Denver Zoological Gardens
Detroit Zoo
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Franklin Park Zoo
Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History
Henry Vilas Zoo
Houston Zoo
Indianapolis Zoological Society, Inc.
International Crane Foundation
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Jenkinson's Aquarium
Kansas City Zoo
Lee Richardson Zoo
Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens
Lion Country Safari
Little Ray's Nature Center - Syracuse
Little Rock Zoological Gardens
Los Angeles Zoo
Memphis Zoological Garden and Aquarium
Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens
Minnesota Zoological Garden
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium
Mystic Aquarium
National Aquarium
National Aviary
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
New England Aquarium
Newport Aquarium
New York Aquarium
North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
North Carolina Zoo
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Oregon Zoo
Potawatomi Zoo
Potter Park Zoological Gardens
Prospect Park Zoo
Queens Zoo
Racine Zoo
Reid Park Zoo
Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
Roger Williams Park Zoo
Saint Louis Zoo
San Diego Zoo
Santa Barbara Zoological Gardens
SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium
Seattle Aquarium
Sedgewick County Zoo
South Carolina Aquarium
Sunset Zoological Park
Tennessee Aquarium
The Florida Aquarium
The Living Desert
Topeka Zoo
Tulsa Zoo
Utah's Hogle Zoo
Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
Virginia Living Museum
Walter D. Stone Memorial Zoo
Western North Carolina Nature Center
Woodland Park Zoo
ZooAmerica
Zoo Atlanta
Zoo Boise
Zoo Knoxville
Zoo Miami
ZooTampa