Kyakagunga Primary School, Kamwenge District, Uganda
Kyakagunga Primary School sits at the edge of Kibale National Park and has been affiliated with the Ngogo Chimpanzee Project since 2009. With other researchers I have worked to raise funds to improve facilities and education at the Kyakagunga and visit the school to conduct lessons on wildlife conservation.
Classroom Visits and “Backyard” Wildlife Art Exchanges
In Uganda and in the United States, I visit classrooms to talk about conservation and chimpanzee behavior. I also facilitate art exchanges between elementary students in the United States and students at Kyakagunga, where students create drawings of animals that they see in their “backyards” and exchange these for those drawn by students in other parts of the world. This not only connects young people in both places but stimulates both an appreciation for local wildlife and a curiosity about animals in faraway places. Drawings provide a medium for exchange unobstructed by language barriers. I hope to extend this project to more classrooms and to other field sites. If you or your students would like participate in a Backyard Wildlife Drawing Exchange, or if you would like me to speak to your classroom about chimpanzees and conservation, please contact me at rachnare@umich.edu. 
