Moving and Improving the Florida Museum of Natural History Fish Collection
WHEN: June 8-13, 2025
LOCATION: University of Florida Main Campus, Gainesville, FL
See full application questionnaire
Attention Elementary School Teachers!
Are you looking for a professional development experience that bridges many scientific disciplines? We invite you to apply and be part of the second cohort of Florida elementary school teachers for our professional development program titled, “Moving and Improving the Florida Museum of Natural History Fish Collection.”
Cohort members will attend a weeklong professional development workshop this summer. Much of the workshop will take place in the Florida Museum of Natural History’s brand-new, state-of-the-art Special Collections Building. The building houses roughly 4 million specimens preserved in 60,000 gallons of ethyl or isopropyl alcohol that make up the Museum’s expansive “wet” collections, including those from the Herpetology, Ichthyology, Invertebrate Zoology, Mammals and Ornithology divisions. Storing specimens used by scientists worldwide, the building serves as a space for researchers to conduct studies that provide critical information for our global community.
During the workshop, participants will learn what it’s like to be a scientist working with museum collections and the processes involved in moving specimens and updating a collection. These processes may include identifying, preserving, cataloging, photographing, and digitizing specimens for use. Scientists also help organize, provide access to, and properly store specimens. Participants will leave the workshop with content expertise that is sure to get their students excited and expose them to STEM topics.
Watch the video below to hear about the experiences of some of our summer 2024 cohort.
Workshop Benefits:
- Learn what it’s like to be a scientist working with museum collections and the processes involved in moving specimens and updating a collection. These processes may include identifying, preserving, cataloging, photographing, and digitizing specimens for use.
- Gain content expertise that is sure to get your students excited and expose them to STEM topics.
- Work with cohort members and scientists throughout the year.
Workshop Eligibility:
- Must be a public-school elementary school teacher in the upcoming school year within the state of Florida.
- Teachers who teach at schools that receive Title I funds are especially encouraged to apply.
- Must plan to continue teaching at a public school for the 2025-2026 school year.
- Must be able to attend and actively participate in the weeklong teacher workshop.
- Must be enthusiastic to learn!
Participant Support:
Participants will receive a $1,000 stipend upon successful completion of the PD, evaluation, and scientist classroom visit as mentioned above. All teachers will be housed at the Reitz Union Hotel courtesy of the workshop regardless of which county they reside in. A detailed agenda will be provided to participants prior to travel.
(Funded by the National Science Foundation #2210415).
Application Process:
The deadline to apply is Friday, February 14, 2025. Space is limited to 10 elementary school teachers. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application (selected or not) by the end of April 2025.
INSTRUCTORS:
- Dr. Larry Page, Curator of Fishes, Florida Museum of Natural History
- Rob Robins, Ichthyology Collection Manager, Florida Museum of Natural History
- Zach Randall, Biological Scientist and the Digital Imaging Division’s Collection Manager
- Dr. Megan Ennes, TESI Director and Assistant Curator of Museum Education, Florida Museum of Natural History
- Stephanie Killingsworth, Scientist in Every Florida School