Good news for giant pandas recently, with the announcement that China’s conservation efforts are paying off, moving their status from “endangered” to “vulnerable.” So there’s no better time to engage learners’ interest in Chinese language and culture, through our famous furry friend.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland runs a Beyond the Panda Education Programme (sponsored by the Confucius Institute for Scotland at the University of Edinburgh and also working closely with the Confucius Institute for Scotland’s Schools and the Scotland China Education Network). The programme has developed a wealth of resources for schools around cross-curricula activities with outreach visits to your school. There is also the opportunity for the school to visit RZSS Edinburgh Zoo. The programme enhances pupil’s knowledge of China’s animals, environment, geography and habitat, alongside language. This short video explains a little more:

Sandie Robb, who manages the Beyond the Panda programme, would very much like to extend their offer of school visits into the North of England, with visits tailored to the English curriculum. Visits can be organised as far south as Manchester and Liverpool, should a cluster of three or more schools wish to get together to organise a week. Here’s a leaflet detailing some of the sessions available: 2016-2017-beyond the panda information

To find out more and access the free resources, please see the Beyond the Panda website: http://www.rzss.org.uk/rzss-education/beyond-the-panda/

To contact Sandie: Email: srobb@rzss.org.uk mobile: 07963 070654