eld. The more and varied the experience,
the better. Some possible places to seek
experience include zoos, wildlife rescue
programs, wildlife rehabilitation programs,
veterinary ofces, stables, and animal
shelters.
Demands of the EATM Program
The EATM program places special
demands on its students. The following
information is provided so the applicant
can make an informed decision about
applying for admission.
Strict attendance is required of all
students. An animal in captivity depends
upon its caretakers to meet all of its needs.
Caring for animals, therefore, requires a
high degree of commitment and responsi-
bility. For this reason, excessive tardiness
and absence from duties of the program
is not tolerated.
America’s Teaching Zoo must be
completely cleaned every morning. To
accomplish this, students sometimes
must arrive at the zoo as early as 5 a.m.
During the day, students are needed for
maintenance projects, tours, shows, and
to make sure the animals have shelter from
the weather and access to water. Most of
the animals in the collection are fed twice
a day so students also have to return to
the zoo between 3 and 5 p.m. for this feed-
ing. Cleaning and feeding must be done
regardless of weather, therefore students
often must work in the rain, cold, or heat.
The temperature in Moorpark occasion-
ally drops below freezing in the winter and
rises above 105°F in the summer.
Attendance is also required at special
work days and guest lectures. These
events sometimes occur with very little
prior notice so the student must be ex-
ible. On occasion, the health status of an
animal makes it necessary for students
to spend the night at the zoo to provide
medication or for monitoring.
The animal collection requires care year
round, so students are required to work
on holidays and other times when school
is normally not in session. Students are
on-call 24 hours a day in the case of an
emergency. The high degree of commit-
ment required by the program leaves the
student with little time for him or herself.
Therefore, it is important that the student
makes sure other areas of his or her life
are in order.
The work at America's Teaching Zoo
involves working around potentially dan-
gerous animals. For this reason, a great
deal of emphasis is placed on following
safety rules and protocols, and on com-
munication and teamwork.
First-year students are not permitted
to handle any of the animals or talk to
them without specic instructions from a
supervisor. Many of the animals are be-
ing trained and any contact with someone
other than the trainer would be detrimental
to the training process. Adherence to this
rule as well as the other rules allows the
student to demonstrate the self-disci-
pline required for working in the animal
industry.
Some of the animals in the collection
periodically require fresh meat in their diet.
To provide this, the student is required to
kill rodents, pigeons, and rabbits. The
students are instructed in the proper way
to humanely kill these animals and are
supervised when doing so.
Most of the maintenance of the cages
and grounds is carried out by the stu-
dents. This requires the student to build or
repair cages, night boxes, fences, storage
areas, equipment, and training props.
The student must wear a uniform of
EATM shirt or sweat shirt and blue jeans,
tan pants, or tan shorts and EATM jacket
(if needed) when on duty at America’s
Teaching Zoo, when performing presenta-
tions, and on eld trips. The student must
provide his or her own rain gear, have
access to a sleeping bag, gloves, and
hand tools (pliers, hammer, etc.).
Expenses
It is important for applicants to plan
carefully to meet the costs of attending
the EATM program so they can gain the
maximum educational experience. The
following information is provided to help
the applicant plan.
We currently estimate the cost of
attending the program, including room,
board, tuition, etc., is about $15,000 per
year for California residents. The cost will
be about $5000-$6000 higher for non-
residents as tuition is $220+ per semester
unit (compared to $46 per unit for
residents). Most students establish
California residency their second year.
The irregular nature of the work sched-
ule and the number of hours required
make it extremely difcult, if not impos-
sible, to hold even a part-time job while
attending the program. The student’s
EATM schedule will change frequently,
often from week to week, sometimes with
little or no notice. Most employers are un-
able to be as exible with work schedules
as the student requires. Anyone consid
-
ering applying for the program needs to
carefully evaluate the resources available
for supporting them through the program.
Some nancial aid is available through the
Financial Aid Ofce. The applicant should
contact that ofce directly for information
about such assistance. Their number is
(805) 378-1462.
Moorpark College does not have
any on-campus housing available for
students. There are a number of rental
properties near by that have been rented
by groups of three or four EATM students
each year. Some students nd housing in
the city of Simi Valley. The EATM Student
Learning Lab maintains a bulletin board
for admitted students which facilitates
their nding roommates or housing.
It is important each student have a car
for transportation. This is because there
is no on-campus housing and because
some of the course work will require the
student to drive to the Los Angeles and
Santa Barbara zoos. The expense of a
car will vary a great deal from student to
student. The applicant should remember
to include not only the cost of gasoline
but also the cost of routine maintenance,
insurance (required by California law),
and emergency repairs.
The Ventura County Community College District subscribes to and promotes the principles and implementation of equal op-
portunity and Afrmative Action. Pursuant to the provisions of Assembly Bill 803, the Governing Board has adopted a policy and
procedure to ensure that its programs and activities are available to all persons without regard to ethnic group identication,
religion, age, sex, color, physical or mental disability, or Vietnam veteran status. Both the policy and the procedure apply to stu-
dents, employees, and applicants. Inquires regarding these laws and regulations, and the corresponding Board policies, may be
directed to the District Afrmative Action Ofcer, c/o District Admin Center, 255 W. Stanley Ave., Suite 150, Ventura, CA 93001.
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