TOLEDO — A volunteer program at the Toledo Zoo is empowering teens with special needs to reach their full potential.
The Advocates for Disabilities and Partners Team (ADaPT) pairs the Zoo Teen volunteers in need of extra assistance with a peer partner or staff member for support. Together, the teams guide guests or provide other help at the zoo.
“There’s different things they can provide a little bit better socially for them than the staff,” said Kevin Fong, the volunteer accessibility supervisor. “And we’re young, you know. I’m 24 and the rest of my staff is in their early 20s, but to someone who’s 13 to 18, we’re old. We’re ancient.”
ADaPT has been a part of the Zoo Teen program since 2009 and every teen in the program has a goal they’re focused on.
“They achieve their goals much faster when they work with the peer support partners, just because they know they have somebody with them that’s promoting a safe environment where they can learn,” said Fong.
One of Jackson Cochran’s goals is learning how to educate guests who visit the zoo.
“Every day when I was little, I would tell my parents, ‘Take me to the zoo, take me to the zoo,’” said Cochran. “Since the day I could walk and talk.”
Cochran is now volunteering at the zoo as a Zoo Teen through the ADaPT program. The 19 year old has a wealth of wildlife knowledge.
“I learn a lot from watching animal documentaries and reading animal encyclopedias,” he said.
The information comes in handy when he’s giving tours to guests at the zoo. He shared facts about each animal along the Tembo Trail exhibit.
“When a camel reaches a potential water source, they can drink up to 15 gallons in 10 minutes,” he said.
He wants to be a zoologist.
“Since the day I was born,” he said. “I’ve always had a love for animals.”
Taylor Czaja is a summer support aide. She started out as a Zoo Teen in 2013. Now she stays close by Cochran’s side.
“It’s opened my eyes to what I want to do the rest of my life, and that’s work with some pretty amazing people,” she said.
She’s currently focused on disability studies at the University of Toledo.
“It’s created this amazing bond that we have today, and just being able to see the teens grow is honestly what makes our job so magical,” Czaja said.
She carries a black drawstring backpack while out in the zoo. It’s a sensory bag filled with tools like a white board and noise-canceling headphones. There’s also a squeezable foam corn cob.
“It’s good for anxiety,” she explained. “It’s also good to just hold onto in a panic. It’s a sensory toy.”
Czaja said she’s been trained to use these items to assist teens and guests with special needs, if they need some help coping while out in the crowds.
“It allows them to do all of the things they would do, just with a little help,” she said.
She said her role is to provide encouragement and sometimes a little push when needed, to help Cochran and the ADaPT teens become more confident and independent.
“In the end, it gets them to where they are today and that’s one of my favorite things is helping to assist the teens in being as independent as possible,” Czaja said.
Leaving Cochran excited to share his knowledge about the animal kingdom.
“Animals are such a comfort,” he said. “Because I don’t know where in the world we would be without them.”
