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Australia/New Zealand Representative

Board Members

Regional Representatives

South Asia

Sean Coleman
Learning Experiences Manager Melbourne Zoo,
Zoos Victoria
scoleman@zoo.org.au

Sean began his education career as a 17-year-old teaching music to students who were older and (almost always) taller.  After gaining a Bachelor of Education and teaching the arts for 10-years, Sean moved to the not-for-profit sector, where he set up programs for seriously ill children in hospitals across the southern states of Australia.  Sean worked with communities across Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania to ensure children undergoing treatment had access to technology, diversional (distraction) therapy and expert staff.  This work to bring about and evaluate real change over a period of 6-years prompted the move into conservation education.

As Learning Experiences Manager at Melbourne Zoo, Sean’s department of nine educators teaches around 60% of the 110,000 students that visit the Zoo each year.  Sean has been working with his team to ensure all students, regardless of age, leave the Zoo feeling connected with the world around them, have a greater understanding of threatening processes, and are inspired and empowered to take action.

Sean is passionate about constant evaluation, as he believes regular feedback is the only way to ensure programs remain current, exciting, relevant, age-appropriate and barrier free.  With this in mind, Sean established an online (and easily analysed) evaluation for Melbourne Zoo’s education programs, which has since been adopted by Healesville Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo.

Sean lives with a cat named Chicken.