MM is an incentive-based reading achievement program with more than 1,600 students at four Fort Worth ISD elementary schools. The program rewards students for reaching each of “Maven the Raven’s Milestones:” Ascent, Afterburner, Approach and Call Sign Maven. Each milestone represents a specific number of points that the students earn by reading books and passing online quizzes.

Hernandez introduced students to the Endangered Species List, which groups animals into specific categories based on the overall health of their population. He then used pictures from a 2017 African safari to show some familiar examples, including “endangered” African elephants (estimated population 400,000), “vulnerable” giraffes (estimated population 110,000), and the “extinct in the wild” white rhinos (population two).

“Many scientists believe that the earth is currently experiencing its biggest mass extinction since the dinosaurs,” Hernandez said. “This presentation focused on the importance of conservation and how our day-to-day actions as a society can have a big impact on wildlife around the world.”