IMPACT
Questions. . . kids are full of them, and we never tire of hearing them. If it weren't for questions, and the curiosity that inspires them, what kind of story would we tell? How would we engage? What could we learn?
It's the questions presented to us in the classroom and out in the field, by students and community members alike, that let us know our efforts are working. Right away we can see that what we are doing is making an impact.
What students are saying. . .
"What I like about the Talking Talons program is being around the animals and learning about them, how they live, what to do if you find an injured one, I think that's really important. Also, how they interact and live with us and how we survive together is interesting to learn."
"Doing the presentations and learning about the animals were my favorite things about the program. Being able to see them up close, because I've never been able to do that and it's much better than just hearing a teacher talk about them or reading about them in a book."
"I liked learning facts that taught me how to be responsible. Like how littering or not taking good care of animals affects us. Plus, we did some cool activities that would connect to what (the 
"I learned to handle situations that are scary better, like my animal tried to escape when I was talking but I learned to stay calm and still had to give my speech. That helped me realize that I can stay calm even when I'm scared to talk in front of others."
"The presentations helped me learn how to speak in front of a big audience. I had to learn to speak louder, not fidget or look at the floor. The presentations helped to take your mind off of stage fright because I had to concentrate on holding the animal, plus get the facts straight."
"I really enjoy this class because you have taught me how to handle and react to animals, especially snakes."
"For me, science was always a drag, I could never really understand it. I never really got the whole environment thing, but with Talking Talons, when they bring the animals in they actually make it fun - we do activities, and what I learn in Talking Talons has improved my science understanding and it really has improved my grades."
"I learned how to organize information which has helped me in other classes too. When we had information to learn about the animals we had to learn facts in a way that we had to teach it to the rest of the class. That was hard, but I learned how to do it."
"Before Talking Talons I cared and I understood about the environment and animals, but I didn’t think you could do anything about it. Talking Talons teaches you that one person doing something really can make a difference."
"I would say that Talking Talons should be taught to ALL kids. They need to know what happens … not to the animals, but what happens to the rest of us because their choices affects all of us. Plus, they would find out that science is fun."IMPACT GALLERY
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Talking Talons Youth Leadership works to transform generations of environmental leaders through experiences with nature, enhancing the lives of its young participants by instilling a sense of civic duty, providing a mission that youth can believe in, and teaching skills that will benefit a lifetime.
Talking Talons Youth Leadership is serving its community in powerful, effective ways:
- Building young leaders through environmental education and training in public speaking
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Educating youth in science-based conservation through long-term, in-school programs
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Providing hands-on conservation education and job-skills training at diverse outdoor classroom locations
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Engaging youth and the community in wildlife habitat improvement projects
- Managing community-based projects that benefit ecosystems and reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires
- Generating local jobs, volunteer and first-time employment opportunities at our non-profit Talking Talons Thrift Store