The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has a strategic goal and a plan to increase minority representation in the zoo field. According to a study, 74.1 percent of zoo keepers are White. Comparatively, 16.3 percent are Hispanic or Latino and 4.0 percent are Black. There are other disparities in the zoo field such as gender identity/expression, and low-income.

The Columbus Zoo, along with The Wilds, Zoombezi Bay, and Safari Golf Club, are looking to give underrepresented groups an opportunity to experience the many career paths available to this field.

“To create access you have to identify barriers and then remove those barriers to create opportunities that are equitable,” said Carman Wirtz, Senior Vice President of Human Resources.

Wirtz, along with Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Board member Dr. Rustin Moore DVM, and Zoo President/CEO Tom Schmid, spearheaded the establishment of the RISE Scholarship program. 

The RISE scholarship program provides internship experiences from business to biology to students from a variety of backgrounds – including racial/ethnic groups, gender, and low-income/underserved populations who are underrepresented in our industry. The program provides exposure for those interested in potential careers in animal care, guest service, and mission-driven careers.  

“We are very excited to be able to provide one-of-a-kind educational opportunities to members of our community who may not have been able to participate due to financial barriers.  Our family of parks are for everyone and educational opportunities should be no exception,” said Wirtz.

When most people think of zoo jobs, they picture a veterinarian or keeper. But it does take a village of people in various roles to keep the daily operations of a zoo, conservation center, waterpark, and golf course going. There are a multitude of career paths at all zoos and aquariums such as guest services, IT, finance, nutrition, security, food and beverage, fundraising, community relations and education, horticultural, and much more.

The goal is to remove financial barriers that may be caused by unpaid internships. This program also furthers the Zoo’s strategic goal to recruit more underserved and underrepresented candidates into our organization. 

Starting this fall, there will be 15 individual scholarships available dedicated to various positions across the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, The Wilds, Zoombezi Bay, and Safari Golf Club.  Each recipient will receive a $5,000 scholarship (animal care) to offset expenses or be paid hourly up to $5,000 through the scholarship fund. Students must commit to 12 weeks in animal care internship positions or 240 hours of work in other non-animal areas from September through December. 

Students must be 18 years of age and complete the application by September 5, 2022. Scholarship information, application and internship descriptions can be found on our RISE Scholarship page.