Liz Gilles

About Liz Gilles

I am passionate about the natural world and love helping kids of all ages experience nature, ask good questions, and find their own answers.My education experience began when I taught Urban Ecology at an alternative high school in Chicago while serving as their Volunteer Coordinator. From there, I went into the Peace Corps working as a conservation and environmental education volunteer in rural Panama. My experience in Panama instilled in me the importance of classroom teachers and of schools as the center of the community. I returned to the United States and enrolled in Stanford University\'s teacher preparation program. After becoming a licensed teachers I taught a variety of science subjects and grades ranging from middle school to high school. My passion for environmental education brought me to the Minnesota Zoo first as a Supervisor of School and Teacher Programs and later as the Director of Education.I am drawn to education because I believe schools and cultural institutions like zoos play vital roles in communties. They hold us all together, give us hope and inspire us.

Experience

1. Education Curator

   Minnesota Zoo

   May 2020 — Present · Apple Valley, MN, US

Education

• Macalester College

  BA, Biology, English

  1996 — 2000

• Stanford University

  Masters, Education (STEP)

  2009 — 2010

Skills

• Spanish
• Scuba Diving
• Report Writing
• Research
• Training
• Leadership Development
• Conservation Biology
• Workshop Facilitation
• Program Management
• Spanish-Speaking
• Environmental Awareness
• Community Organizing
• Management
• Project Management
• Community Outreach
• Community Development
• Grants
• Teaching
• Environmental Science
• Environmental Education
• Nonprofits
• Public Speaking
• Grant Writing
• Curriculum Design
• Non-Profits