Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired Students Visit Zoo Miami (Video)

The visit started with a guided tour of Florida Mission Everglades, where participants interacted with staff and biofacts from the Zoo Miami Foundation Education Department. After learning about 60 different species and the Everglades’ wildlife and conservation efforts, MLB students used their other senses like touch during a parrot feeding encounter.

The day concluded with a tactile activity in Zoo Miami’s one-of-a-kind exhibit for education and hands-on creative play, the Animal Fun Factory. Guided by Zoo Miami Foundation’s educators, students painted a large cardboard box that will be turned into a puzzle feeder. The enrichment item will be given to Zoo Miami’s animal residents to engage and encourage their natural behaviors.

Miami Lighthouse’s Music Program is a leader in music education and facilitation for the blind and visually impaired and one of the only organizations in the nation offering all-inclusive music, audio instruction, and youth development programs.

“The multisensory experience at Zoo Miami reinforced what we teach here at Miami Lighthouse, that it’s possible to see without sight,” said Virginia Jacko, President & CEO of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. “Every student, whether blind or visually impaired, was able to interact with the animals through their sense of touch, smell and hearing, and for all of our students, the auditory information made a profound difference.”