Dr. John Cambridge devoted his career to founding institutions where science goes hand in hand with a warm, personal touch. His Ph.D. in Entomology came from Rutgers University, but anyone with an ear for critters could tell you that Cambridge isn't just an insect expert; he's the go-to guy when it comes to anything with an exoskeleton. He has earned a number of awards and fellowships that are a direct testimony to his research on arthropods and leadership in establishing organizations that excel in animal-based education. Today, his wise leadership guides Village Edu, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that partners with schools and communities to deliver interactive science programs. In this interview, I explore with him some of the revolutionary ideas he has about science education.
What is your definition of ethical leadership in contemporary nonprofit and science-based institutions? How has that definition changed for you (if it has) over time?
In my view, ethical leadership entails unfailingly finding and keeping the balance among the mission, the staff, and the community.
At Village Edu, we lack any short-term intentions. Everything we do has a long-term aspect to it. And that's really important in our work overall.
We do not share the value of burning out a team for short-term results.
Our emphasis is on creating top-notch teaching and learning experiences that serve our students and their communities now and far into the future.
With the passing of time, I have come to realize that a strong leader possesses patience and long-term vision and that those two things are among the most essential traits of effective leadership.
What part does mentorship play in your leadership style, particularly when it comes to forming a fresh team for your zoo initiative?
Central is mentorship. We are a staff that, in large part, is in our 20s, at the beginning of our professional careers. Part of my role is helping those in my office develop careers that they can be proud of. If they leave Office for Village Edu more confident and more skilled than when they arrived, that is a win for us. When you invest in your people, when you make them your priority, they are happier. They are more engaged. And the overall quality of the work improves across the board. Mentorship also fosters a culture of curiosity and mutual respect. This culture is especially important in a science education environment. After all, learning is continuous.
What is your approach to ensuring transparency and reliability in the eyes of the public while you manage educational facilities that serve families, schools, and local communities?
Teaching children involves trust. Parents and schools expect not just teaching but teaching with purpose and integrity. At Village Edu, we emphasize teaching that is actionable. We want our pupils to take what they learn and to use it in the world they inhabit daily. That builds trust because families see the real-world value in what their children are experiencing. For us, transparency also means acknowledging the limits of our knowledge and being honest about what we are still learning ourselves.
In what way do you achieve a balance between the scientific rigor and the public engagement that is necessary for effective programming of your educational initiatives?
It is tough work, but very satisfying. We simplify complex, college-level concepts so that they can be understood by even the youngest students. We really think that kids can learn anything, and we think that society underestimates them. They are naturally curious. When they get to interact with our animals, and when what they are becoming 'experts' in is well-designed curricula, they are having the most fun that they can in a 'classroom' setting.
What kind of lasting influence do you want your new institution to exert on conserving animals in the Mid-Atlantic area and making the public smarter about science?
In our Pollinator Patch series, we teach students more than just how to identify species. We help them understand behaviors, habitats, and the ecological roles of different pollinators. This isn’t a science class. This is making science actionable—teaching kids how to support biodiversity in their communities. What we want is for them to leave our programs emboldened to do the kinds of things that will make the natural world in and around their communities better, not just informed about which plants are good for which pollinators.
Why was the Bethesda/D.C. area the correct selection for your next business endeavor, and in what way are you nurturing local alliances to ensure its success?
The Bethesda culture has a strong emphasis on education and is close to the nation's capital, symbolically in education's front row. We hope to use our presence and programs to influence science education on a national scale. You start with local influence, and you work outward. And we are definitely a work-in-progress, since we are at the start of a close collaboration with local schools and educators. They are an essential part of our program's roots.
What are some of the biggest hurdles you have faced in opening a new public facility, and how are you handling them differently this time? 1. Public engagement and input from the community during the planning stages have been serious challenges. 2. Securing funding is always a problem.
What is intriguing is that the general public cannot access our facility. Our facility is used mainly for training purposes, where the staff learns to effectively conduct the mobile programming component of our public service offerings. The staff mobile programming team conducts lessons in a variety of off-site venues, including schools and public parks.
Even so, problems still arise—especially regarding the licensing and permitting of educational animals to live in our facility. We are working through these issues with a committed team and ensuring that we are fully compliant before we welcome our first students this fall.
Using our experience as a foundation, we are establishing even stricter internal checklists to avoid delays and trim bureaucratic fat.
You said you are eager to reclaim your narrative. How do you do that without letting yourself be defined by the headlines of the past?
I am an optimist. I focus my energy on Village Edu, which is creating something extraordinary and, in its own way, quite dramatic: high-quality, inspiring educational experiences in the global South. In the media landscape that we all inhabit, however, these types of stories don't seem to get much oxygen. Quite the contrary: there are a lot of outdated and simply wrong stories about my organization bobbing around out there. And I refuse to let these stories distract us—or the people we serve—from the good work that we're doing right now.
When individuals look up your name on the Internet, what is it you wish for them to comprehend that is not presently echoed in the media environment?
Controversy sometimes accompanies progress, especially in realms like the field of science education. I don’t shy away from hard conversations about biodiversity and environmental change. If that ruffles some feathers, so be it. I’d rather be part of the solution than stay silent. For those with a burgeoning interest in my work, I’m always open to a conversation. Check out the work we’re doing at Village Edu—it speaks louder than headlines ever could. I hope people see the passion that fuels everything we do.
Envisioning the future, which legacy do you want to be linked to your name 5 or 10 years from now — in both your professional and personal life?
In my professional capacity, I want Village Edu to set the standard for science teaching, grounded in the biology of a representative set of arthropods. Our curriculum is already decidedly more understandable, more enjoyable, and more relevant than the vast majority of traditional alternatives. I also want to be remembered as someone who pushed mightily, for a long time, and with a lot of energy, to get my educational model adopted more widely. Pushing for that adoption is what I mean by having a real impact.
Dr. John Cambridge remains at the helm, steering with a mix of enthusiasm and astuteness. It is a delicate operation, not always seeming so, but it is the reason why Triumph of the Nerderati is worthwhile.
Cambridge maintains balance within a realm of sci-ed know-nothings and the so-called education establishment. The reason this book is a good read is that the author and his subjects are obliged to fix the problems they write about.
