On a quiet morning in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, a group of children sit cross-legged on the floor of a classroom, their voices muffled not by instruction but by fear. In front of them, an educator delicately opens a container and reveals a living being that most of them have only seen flattened under a shoe or animated on a screen. The animal is not playing. It simply exists. The lesson begins there.
This moment, repeated thousands of times in schools and community spaces, is the result of decades of preparation, scientific rigor, and the belief that education rooted in direct experience can still shape the way humans relate to the natural world. In the center is Dr. John Cambridge, an entomologist by training and entrepreneur by instinct, who has built his career at the intersection of science, ethics and access.
Cambridge did not set out to become a nonprofit founder. His early ambitions were academic, driven by the same curiosity that draws many scientists to insects: their complexity, resilience, and quiet dominance over terrestrial ecosystems. He earned his doctorate in entomology from Rutgers University in 2016, immersing himself in the type of research that requires patience, precision, and respect for systems far older than humanity itself. But at some point, Cambridge recognized a gap between what science knows and what the public experiences.
This gap would become his life’s work.
A scientific base, an entrepreneurial spiritIn academia, success is often measured in publications and citations. In the classroom, this is measured in test scores. Cambridge was interested in something harder to quantify: wonder. He noticed that the most transformative moments in education rarely came from textbooks alone. They came when learners encountered the subject itself, alive and unfiltered.
After completing his doctorate, Cambridge began creating companies that brought science out of institutions and communities. Over the years, he founded and grew more than a half-dozen scientific companies, many of which focused on live animal education and museum experiments. What distinguishes his approach is not the spectacle but the structure. Each program was grounded in scientific accuracy, ethical animal care, and the belief that accessibility should never come at the expense of rigor.
Cambridge would soon learn that the education of live animals is widely misunderstood.
The hidden complexity of raising living animalsTo the untrained eye, a classroom visit featuring animals may seem simple. An educator arrives, opens a file, answers questions and leaves. What the students see are calm, healthy animals and confident instructors. What they don’t see is the infrastructure needed to make this moment possible.
At Edu Village, the nonprofit organization that John Cambridge now leads as CEO, nearly 100 species are housed in an educational collection. Each species has its own care protocols, environmental needs, feeding schedules and handling limits. Their maintenance requires an entire department of qualified personnel whose work continues long after the classroom doors close.
“There is a misconception that passion is enough,” Cambridge said of mission-driven animal education. “That’s not the case.” Rather, what is needed is discipline. This discipline appears in the Village Edu training model, which sets the bar high even in the professional world of zoos and museums.
Training, ethics and the cost of doing things rightEach Village Edu educator undergoes an intensive eight-week training program before stepping into a classroom. The program covers entomology, general zoology, and ecology, coupled with rigorous handling certifications and simulated course presentations. Educators are trained not only to teach, but also to anticipate risks, stress signals in animals, and the unpredictable dynamics of working with children.
One policy in particular defines the Village Edu philosophy: the mandatory requirement of two educators per class. Regardless of the location or size of the program, there are always at least two qualified professionals present. One of them focuses on animal welfare. The other ensures that students benefit from meaningful and safe interactions. The rule is costly and logistically demanding. This is also non-negotiable.
According to Cambridge, ethical standards cannot be optional in an education that relies on living beings. Animals are not accessories. These are participants whose well-being must remain central, even when budgets are tight or demand is high.
The community as collaborator and not consumerVillage Edu’s work is rooted in the communities it serves, particularly in the Washington, DC and Bethesda area, where Cambridge grew up. Rather than imposing programs from above, the organization actively solicits feedback from teachers, parents and local partners. Programming evolves based on what educators say their students need, not what looks best on a brochure.
This collaborative approach reflects a broader shift in how nonprofits operate effectively. For Cambridge, mission-driven leadership means collective ownership. Team members are encouraged to view the mission as a shared responsibility, determining how resources are allocated and how new initiatives take shape.
The result is a model that is less like an institution and more like an ecosystem, adaptive, responsive and built on trust.
Data, biodiversity and measurable impactWhat sets Village Edu apart from many education nonprofits is its commitment to data-driven community interventions. Biodiversity loss is not an abstract concept within an organization. It is a measurable outcome influenced by human behavior, policy and education.
By tracking engagement, retention and learning outcomes, Village Edu seeks to understand not only whether students enjoyed an experience, but also whether it changed their perception of the natural world. This information informs future programs and helps identify areas where education can most effectively slow biodiversity erosion.
Cambridge sees this as essential for the future of conservation. Inspiration can spark interest, but lasting impact requires evidence.
Integrity in the Age of NoiseHaving worked in both the nonprofit and private sectors, Cambridge is acutely aware of how narratives can be distorted. Media attention often favors controversy over nuance, drama over diligence. For him, integrity is built through consistency and transparency, not through rebuttals.
At Village Edu, reputation is not managed solely through messaging. This is achieved through daily practice, through animals that thrive, through prepared educators, and through communities that feel heard.
Cambridge recognizes that mistakes are inevitable. What matters is learning from them and refusing to repeat them. This philosophy has shaped his leadership style and the systems he puts in place, prioritizing long-term resilience over short-term growth.
A model for the future of science educationAs science education faces increasing pressure to evolve, digitalize and save money, Village Edu represents a different path. It’s slower. More demanding. Less forgiving with shortcuts. And undoubtedly more necessary than ever.
Cambridge believes that educating children about the natural world is one of the most important tasks society can undertake. Not because it produces scientists, but because it produces citizens who understand their place within a larger system.
If someone searches for his name in a few years, Cambridge hopes they will find not accolades, but evidence of his impact. Programs that lasted. Strengthened communities. Children who remember the first time they held something alive and realized the world was bigger, more fragile and more interconnected than they had imagined.
In an era marked by distance, Village Edu insists on proximity. Between humans and animals. Between data and empathy. Between knowledge and responsibility. It reminds us that science education, at its best, is about more than information. It’s about relationships.
And sometimes it starts with a child in a classroom, still and attentive.