Pre-service "EdZoocation": Strengthening Teacher Education with Civic Engagement and Community Partnerships

This manuscript describes a course designed for preservice elementary education majors that is taught at a local zoo and integrates a service learning component. Qualitative measures demonstrate that students believe the service learning components enhanced their understanding of the course material, and helped them to see the connections between what they learned in the classroom and how that learning can be applied to make their local communities better places to live.