If you want to whet kids' appetite for science, introduce them first to animals. That's one of the basic tenets of "Animal Ambassadors," a pioneering educational outreach program from the School of Veterinary Medicine, now being pilot-tested with urban 4-H members and elementary school students. "The program is designed to teach kids about care and responsibility for both domestic and wild animals," explained Martin Smith, director of Animal Ambassadors. "At the same time, we hope to help them develop critical thinking skills and encourage them to explore future career options." Funded in part by the School of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Ambassadors also relies heavily on private support. A $50,000 grant recently was provided by the American Honda Foundation to develop a state and national training model for the program and to disseminate the program's curriculum. Other funding has come from the UC Davis School/-University Office program and a planning grant was provided by the Division of Education's Cress Center. The program was first envisioned by Don Klingborg, assistant dean for veterinary extension and public programs. As a practicing veterinarian in Merced, Klingborg frequently was invited to make presentations to schools, 4-H clubs and church groups. "In order to make effective presentations, you have to invest a lot of time in gathering materials," Klingborg said. "When I came to Davis, I began looking for someone who would develop a more user-friendly and effective curriculum that would teach science and thinking outside the lines." Enter Martin Smith, an insect taxonomist by training and a former professor at the University of Maryland's campus in Munich, Germany. For the past decade, Smith was active in curriculum development for science and environmental education at the Munich International School and as director of the Jane Goodall Institute's International Education Program called "Roots and Shoots." He also served as associate director of the 4-H series and "Yes" projects at UC Davis. Designing the curriculum During the past year and a half, Smith has been designing the Animal Ambasadors curriculum, working with UC Davis interns in collaboration with the campus Public Service Research Program. The curriculum, which ranges from animal habitats to family pets, is being customized for three levels of students in kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth grade and sixth through eighth grade. It is being pilot-tested in 14 inner-city 4-H after-school programs in the Los Angeles area. Long known for its educational activities in agricultural animal science, 4-H is adjusting to dramatic demographic changes in California. With 25 percent of the state's children now living in Los Angeles County, a new, more urban, approach is needed. Due to the concern about animal well-being, as well as the challenges of pet ownership in many urban homes, Animal Ambassadors brings no live animals when it visits classrooms or 4-H clubs-an initial disappointment to the kids, Smith admitted. But hand those kids a dozen mysterious, rubbery animal tracks and they soon forget the lack of furry and feathered critters. "We don't tell them what the tracks are; we let them predict what animals the tracks belongs to and what each type of foot is used for," Smith said. "We encourage them to inquire on their own and think independently."