Utilizing science communication & educational outreach, or Informal Science Education (ISE) strategies fostered from prestigious institutions like the Field Museum in Chicago, ACCO actively works towards a mission that re-invents the way in which we can captivate the imaginations of our local audiences. With the assistance of ethically sourced & collected non-living specimens and/or replicas from ACCO's Natural Sciences Museum collection, we will be providing an interactive and safe experience for our audiences in which they can learn what species of animals live in our midwestern communities and how to respectfully find these species in nature or within our backyards without disturbing them. Audiences can learn about international wildlife, the fight to preserve these species through conservation efforts, and what accredited zoological facilities or wildlife conservancies one can visit to observe these species. Lastly, audiences will learn how we and other species on earth are all connected on a 3.5 BYO journey of shared evolutionary lineages through our prehistoric demonstrations, featuring some true fossils but primarily replica fossils for ethical policy. Our demonstrations feature sensory engagement for all audiences through visual displays, animal audio cues,

and by touching specimens like pelts & skulls, or replicas.  

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​​​​​​ACCO prides itself on a No Animal Ambassadors (NAA) Policy, in which no live animals in captivity or from the wild are used or transported in our demonstrations & events, as this is a form of animal exploitation which can potentially cause stress or harm to animals. All specimens and replicas from our collection are either ethically sourced from suppliers, or are personally collected by ethical means (i.e. insect & invertebrates displays or naturally shed feathers, hair, teeth, whiskers, etc.,) from our

ACCO founder & director, Mitchell Goodknecht.