The Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI) was established in October 2018, and awarded funding in 2019 for the moonshot initiative: Scientist in Every Florida School (SEFS).
Mission: The mission of the SEFS program is to engage Florida K-12 students and teachers in cutting-edge research by providing science role models and experiences that inspire the future stewards of our planet.
Background: SEFS is one of just eight projects awarded funding through a $17 million University of Florida moonshot initiative, aimed at tackling some of society’s most urgent issues. Scientist in Every Florida School has the potential to impact nearly 2.3 million K-12 students and 1000s of teachers statewide.
Participating scientists must have a research focus related to Earth systems—air, water, land and life — which is in line with TESI’s mission to advance public understanding of environmental issues.
Learn MoreThank you for your interest in the Scientist in Every Florida School program. We hope you are as inspired by the possibilities as we are! Learn how you can support the program (and the Thompson Earth Systems Institute) below!
SupportTeachers:
Scientists:
Explore SEFS:
In addition to individual scientist classroom visits, SEFS also hosts live streams and virtual field trips and produces educational videos for the classroom. View all of these products on our YouTube channel. Register for upcoming live streams and virtual field trips on our Upcoming Events calendar.
Completed Scientist Visits By County
Hover your mouse over the map below to see how many scientist classroom visits have been completed in a particular county during the 2020-2021 school year to today.
This program is open to all Florida public K-12 teachers statewide. To schedule a virtual scientist visit to your classroom, fill out our “Request a Scientist” form.
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Scientist in Every Florida School News
Applications for Paid K-12 Professional Development Programs Now Open
Scientist in Every Florida School will host five paid professional development programs that focus on topics like plant pathology and silk-producing insects.
Alachua County Teachers Learn How to Use Fossil Horses to Teach About Climate Change
Teachers will learn from paleontologists about how they can use fossils to highlight evolution, adaptations, and climate change.
Tips for Communicating Science to K-12 Audiences
Ask the teacher what their expectations for the visit are, what they have been working on recently, and what difficulties the students might have with the...
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