In celebration of Women’s Day in August, we would like to introduce to you one of the ladies of the Environmental Education Centre: Deputy Head of Education Bianca Engel.
Bianca, as the saying goes, is part of the furniture here at the Aquarium. She started as a volunteer in 1996 and was permanently employed in 1998. As a qualified teacher, Bianca initially worked in the children’s activity centre, entertaining our younger visitors with puppet shows as well as presenting lessons to grade R to three students.
In 2000 Bianca started teaching in one of our Discovery Centres and was promoted to deputy head of education in 2009.
At first, Bianca showed a keen interest in studying drama, but switched to zoology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology. In 1995, she obtained a Higher Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Town. She taught at two different high schools in the Western Cape before settling in at the Two Oceans Aquarium.
Bianca comments: “I love my career, as it combines the best of both worlds for me: working with animals and sharing my knowledge with young and old. My teaching environment also varies, as I could be teaching in the Discovery Centre, the whole Aquarium or on a rocky shore along our coast.”
Besides her management responsibilities, Bianca oversees and teaches adult courses, such as the volunteer course, teachers’ workshops and SASSI restaurant courses, as well as child courses.
In her free time Bianca enjoys spending time outdoors, taking walks on the beach and hiking or scuba diving. Most of all, however, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends.
