Students during a visit at Nairobi Safari Walk./KWSThe Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has launched a new initiative aimed at connecting students with nature while promoting conservation education and mental wellbeing.
The programme, dubbed the Wild Scholars Schools Initiative, was officially unveiled at the Nairobi Safari Walk on Saturday, where KWS welcomed its first cohort of 400 students from Alliance Girls High School.
The initiative is being rolled out against a backdrop of growing concern about the welfare of students, following a series of cases involving unrest and disciplinary challenges reported in schools across the country in June.
As part of the Wild Scholars campaign, KWS has introduced incentives intended to make visits to parks, reserves and sanctuaries more affordable for learning institutions across the country.
While the newly announced incentives may appear fresh, KWS had already introduced comparable measures in May through its "Ji-achilie in Kenya Parks" campaign. The key distinction with the Wild Scholars programme is its emphasis on student wellbeing.
KWS is positioning parks and wildlife sanctuaries not only as centres for environmental learning but also as spaces where students can unwind, manage academic pressure and engage with conservation through practical experiences.
The visit marked the beginning of a two-phase engagement, with another group from the school expected to take part in similar activities. The students interacted with KWS guides and learning stations designed to provide hands-on conservation education outside the traditional classroom setting.
The incentives apply to schools from nursery to tertiary level and include subsidised student entry fees to selected parks.
Students visiting premium parks such as Amboseli and Lake Nakuru will pay Sh500, while those visiting urban and wilderness parks, including Nairobi National Park and Tsavo East and West, will pay Sh400.
KWS has also introduced transport relief measures, offering schools discounts of up to 40 per cent on bus entry fees, with charges capped at Sh3,000 for large buses.
Additional discounts will be available on weekends and Mondays, while up to three teachers or facilitators accompanying students on educational trips will receive free entry to support coordination.
The programme also provides group incentives, including 10 free entries for every 100 paying students and free access for children under six years.
KWS said investing in young people means creating environments where they can both learn and recover from academic pressures.
“By bringing students into the wild, we give them the space to decompress today so they can become the resilient conservation champions of tomorrow,” the agency said.
The wildlife agency has called on school administrators, teachers and parents to work together in ensuring more students benefit from educational and recreational experiences in Kenya’s protected natural spaces.
KWS said the initiative seeks to achieve more than academic learning by creating opportunities for students to spend time in natural environments and ease the pressures associated with school life.
“Beyond the curriculum, there is a deeper purpose to this initiative,” KWS said in a statement.
The agency noted that academic demands can place significant pressure on learners and that students require healthy outlets to recharge.
“Academic terms are demanding, and the daily pressures on young minds can be heavy. Our students need constructive outlets; safe, peaceful sanctuaries where they can step away from the books, clear their minds, and reset,” KWS said.
The wildlife agency added that nature provides a unique environment for reducing stress and improving wellbeing.
“Nature has a unique way of easing stress, and we are opening our gates wider to offer that breathing room,” the statement said.
