Dear CuriOdyssey Community,

Today we are reaching out to our CuriOdyssey Community to introduce you to our new Director of Education, Jessa Barzelay.

Jessa Barzelay joined CuriOdyssey after 13 years in Education management and leadership at the San Francisco Zoo and San Francisco Botanical Garden. At the San Francisco Zoo, Jessa oversaw education programs including camps, overnights, school, and volunteer programs. At SF Botanical Garden she led the annual community event, Flower Piano, which served over 60,000 people in five days in 2021 and launched the Garden’s first Camp and Afterschool Program. Community partnership and engagement have been at the heart of her professional work. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Biology and University of San Francisco with a MA in Nonprofit Administration.

Jessa is passionate about connecting children and families to science and nature. As a parent of two, Jessa’s passion for outdoor education has also led to school district advocacy for use of outdoor space for in-school learning.

Jessa will lead the Education Department and oversee its in-person and remote programs, including our pilot program, STEMCorps, with a goal to support and empower youth from underrepresented communities to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning.

Please join me in welcoming Jessa to the CuriOdyssey family!

With gratitude,

Aragon Burlingham