A Milestone in Science Education Across Florida
This spring marks a monumental achievement for the Scientist in Every Florida School (SEFS) program: its 5,000th classroom visit and more than 250,000 K-12 students reached in Florida. What started as a bold vision to connect Florida’s students with working scientists has grown into a dynamic and far-reaching program that has touched every corner of the state.
Launched in 2019 as an initiative of the University of Florida’s Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI) at the Florida Museum of Natural History, SEFS has become a model for science outreach. Its mission is to engage K–12 students with Earth systems science by facilitating meaningful connections with real scientists—be they ecologists, paleontologists, or geologists. Over the past five years, the program has not only expanded in scope and reach but also transformed the way students and teachers interact with science education.
A Vision Realized and Expanded
“SEFS was created to serve teachers and students across the state of Florida with the hope of connecting them with real-world, cutting-edge science,” said Dr. Megan Ennes, Director of TESI and Assistant Curator of Museum Education. “We also wanted to foster a community of practice for educators, offering classroom support, professional development, and resources.”
The original idea focused on in-person visits in just five counties, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. SEFS adapted quickly, shifting to virtual visits and thereby expanding its reach dramatically. “This has brought us closer to our goal of reaching all 67 Florida counties,” Ennes noted. Today, SEFS offers a hybrid model that includes virtual and in-person visits, livestream events, and teacher workshops, ensuring broad and flexible access.
The First and the 5,000th
Stephanie Killingsworth, K–12 Education and Outreach Coordinator for SEFS, remembers one of the program’s first visits at Congress Middle School in Palm Beach County. On September 6, 2019, two museum scientists—bat biologist Aditi Jayarajan and invertebrate paleontologist Kris Kusnerik—shared specimens and stories with curious middle schoolers.
Fast forward to the 5,000th visit: a virtual session with 189 fourth graders at Sunset Elementary in Miami. This time, the presenting scientist was Alan Ivory, a University of Florida (UF) Ph.D. student in Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences. Broadcasting live from the field, he led an engaging lesson on interdependence, food chains and webs.
The teacher, Cristina Hoyo, shared her gratitude after the session:
“Thank you for your role in connecting us to Alan Ivory for a fantastic presentation yesterday! The students were interested from start to finish and learned a lot… It’s really cool for students to see a young scientist and to know that it is a possible career path for their future as well.”
Making Science Real and Fun
What sets SEFS apart is its emphasis on interaction and relevance. Students aren’t just passively listening—they’re participating. Whether it’s a bat biologist answering live questions, or students watching a horse receive a CT scan at the UF Equine Vet Hospital, the encounters are personal, vivid, and memorable.
Killingsworth has no shortage of standout moments from her years with SEFS: “We’ve Zoomed into the Dian Fossey Gorilla Research Institute in Rwanda, dissected fish virtually with the Florida State University Sea to See team, and even taken kayak trips in Miami with UF/IFAS TREC biogeochemists,” she said.
The variety of topics covered is impressive. SEFS visits address everything from space science to geology, evolution to energy, and are aligned with Florida’s K–12 science standards. “Nature and process of science, energy and motion, and plant and animal adaptations are always popular,” Killingsworth noted.
Partners in Discovery
The benefits of SEFS aren’t limited to the students. Teachers gain invaluable support, inspiration, and tools to bring science alive in their classrooms. Through SEFS-led professional development workshops—six of which are being offered this year alone—educators get firsthand experience working with scientists, accessing museum collections, and integrating research into their curriculum.
Recent workshops have included opportunities to work directly with scientific collections, like those in the Florida Museum’s Ichthyology collection. “It’s been so successful that three teachers from last year applied to come back this year,” Ennes added.
For scientists, SEFS offers an opportunity to develop outreach experience and connect their research with a new generation of learners. Many incorporate classroom visits into their grant-funded work, ensuring a sustainable cycle of education and engagement.
What’s Next for SEFS?
Despite this incredible milestone, the SEFS team is not slowing down. Ennes and Killingsworth both have ambitious visions for the future. Expanding in-person visits is high on the priority list, but this requires financial support for scientist travel and classroom materials.
“We’re applying for grants and working with donors to support this,” said Ennes. She also expressed deep gratitude for supporters like Art and Edda Ross, who created an endowment to sustain SEFS and TESI’s education and outreach programs.
“In the short term, I’d like to visit all 67 counties in Florida within the next year,” Killingsworth said. “Long term, I hope to develop innovative, district-wide programs that expand our impact even further.”
It’s clear that the impact of SEFS goes far beyond numbers. Yes, 5,000 classroom visits is a phenomenal feat—but it’s the individual moments that leave lasting impressions. A student learning that not all scientists wear lab coats. A teacher finding a new way to explain ecosystems. A young girl deciding she wants to be a paleontologist after watching a fossil dig live.
“SEFS is about inspiration,” said Ennes. “It’s about making science real and showing students that science isn’t something that happens far away in a lab—it’s happening all around them, and it’s something they can be a part of.”
For those inspired to support SEFS, contributions can be made directly to the Art and Edda Ross Fund for Scientist in Every Florida School at https://www.uff.ufl.edu/giving-opportunities/026141-art-and-edda-ross-fund.
Images: Kristen Grace/Florida Museum