Exploring a Lifetime of Curiosity at the JMZ

Spotlight on Arad Kedar, JMZ Educator

February 13, 2024

Hello Friends,

The Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo turns 90 this year! For the past nine decades, the JMZ has served as a destination for young children to get curious about science and nature, and to create lasting memories with their friends and families. For many children, the JMZ ignites a passion for science that extends well into adulthood. In this month’s newsletter, we speak with Arad Kedar, JMZ Educator, who was introduced to the JMZ and its science lessons as a child, and is now a full-time JMZ educator, teaching Friends-funded JMZ Science Outreach lessons in the Ravenswood City School District. As Arad says in his interview, “This is what the JMZ is all about–engaging children’s curiosity and wonder about our natural world.” 

I hope you will join the Friends on Tuesday, March 5 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. for animal interactions and conservation activities in honor of World Wildlife Day. Friends’ visitor events are free with admission; please remember to purchase tickets to the JMZ in advance.

Lauren Angelo

President, Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo

Inspiring a Life Long Love for Science:

How the JMZ is a Space for All Ages

Questions for Arad Kedar, JMZ Educator

The JMZ is a wonderful place for young children to learn and play. How did the JMZ inspire your interests in science and nature?

As a young child, I visited the JMZ and participated in programs. I attended Palo Alto schools, and on a few occasions, I remember JMZ educators bringing animals to classes. I enjoyed the interactive nature of the JMZ’s educational programs which allowed me to learn through hands-on activities instead of simply listening to a lesson.

I became more deeply involved with the JMZ when I was in high school. One of my friends volunteered already and encouraged me to apply as well. I immediately enjoyed the experience and continued to help out after school, starting off in the zoo and then later moving into education. The JMZ offered a great space for me to build community and find sanctuary outside of high school. It gave me the opportunity to connect with other students my age who were interested in similar topics like science and animals. Not only that, but it allowed me to give back to my community and feel pride in my work. I started to help with after school programs and became part of the JMZ’s summer camp staff in 1998. I’ve been involved with the JMZ since then.

There are still opportunities for high schoolers to volunteer at the JMZ and get a taste of what it’s like to work at a museum and zoo. If you are interested, fill out an application form online!

JMZ Educator Arad Kedar shows a science experiment to two young learners (2014).

You stayed involved with the JMZ after high school. What brought you back?

As a college student, I helped with summer camps every year. I enjoyed the chance to come back to the JMZ and immerse myself in a space committed to education and early childhood development. It was incredibly rewarding to reconnect every summer, working with many of the same educators and kids. Helping out as a camp assistant also provided a glimpse into a career in education and created an avenue for me to work at the JMZ. We still have plenty of summer camp assistants who continue working with us into the school year because they enjoy facilitating our programs so much.

After I graduated college, I became a JMZ educator in 2006. I’ve been teaching for over 15 years now and continue to enjoy how our programs have evolved to reflect curriculum standards and new scientific findings.

A group of students builds experiments during Camp Kinetic (2017).

As an educator, you started to teach lessons in local schools. Can you tell us about your experience teaching Friends-funded lessons in the Ravenswood City School District?

The first JMZ Science Outreach class I taught by myself was in Willow Oaks Elementary School in east Menlo Park, which merged with Belle Haven in 2020. When I started teaching lessons, there was very little science instruction in the Ravenswood City School District which serves East Palo Alto and east Menlo Park. Most of the curriculum was literacy and math based, leaving little time and few resources for teachers to dedicate to science. 

One of my favorite things about teaching in Ravenswood was that the students were always–and still are–really excited to participate in hands-on science experiments. These lessons give students the opportunity to explore new ideas and encourage a hunger to learn. I taught in Ravenswood from 2006 to 2023, so I was able to build relationships with the students, often teaching them year after year. This continuity builds an environment that promotes conversations and collaboration between instructors and students. Young learners feel comfortable and excited to ask questions and understand how all the experiments we conduct work. Every time I teach a class, the kids know I’ll bring something they’ll enjoy. The energy is electric, and I’ll have students start to ooh and ahh even when I reveal an unopened box with supplies. As an educator, the positive reactions I receive from students continue to inspire me. 

This is what the JMZ is all about–engaging children’s curiosity and wonder about our natural world. Those feelings of excitement continued into my teenage years and young adult life, and ultimately led me to my current career. There are opportunities for people of any age to get involved at the JMZ, from visiting as a child to volunteering as a teenager, adult, or senior.

Arad explains how to calculate density to a fifth grade class at Belle Haven Elementary School (2022).

Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo

info@friendsjmz.org | www.friendsjmz.org

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