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.
Program Goals
- To match scientists with K-12 public schools in Florida, with a focus on Title I schools
- To provide new and mid-career teachers at-risk of leaving the profession with useful resources and support in the classroom
- To build long-term, collaborative partnerships between teachers and scientists through a statewide professional learning community
- To provide high-quality professional development opportunities for Florida public school teachers
- To provide Florida K-12 public school students with experiences rooted in current Earth systems science research
COVID-19 Response:
The ongoing global health pandemic has disrupted traditional classroom learning, prompting Florida K-12 teachers to quickly mobilize, rethink their curriculum and launch their virtual classrooms.
To help with this transition, the Scientist in Every Florida School program has developed a suite of digital, on-demand K-12 resources that teachers can easily deploy using their virtual teaching platform of choice. Learn more.
Notice about privacy concerns with Zoom: Our Scientist in Every Florida School team is well-trained in the best practices of using Zoom software, and can guarantee that when you schedule a virtual program through our team, your connection will be entirely secure. For more information, please read our Policy Statement Regarding Privacy Concerns with Zoom.
Program components
- K-12 teacher professional development & resources
- Scientist classroom visits (in-person & virtual)
- Facilitating teacher-scientist relationships
- COVID-19 Response: Digital On-Demand K-12 Resources
- Broader Impacts for Scientists
Interested in participating?
Visit our “How to Get Involved” page to learn more.
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.
This program is open to all Florida public K-12 teachers statewide. To schedule a scientist visit to your classroom (in-person or virtual) fill out our “Request a Scientist” form.
Contact
Join Our Upcoming Virtual Events and Field Trips
In addition to classroom-specific scientist visits, we are also hosting a number of livestream events and field trips for your K-12 classroom to join in on throughout the school year. See what we have planned on our Upcoming Events calendar.
Scientist in Every Florida School News
Monika Moorman Named SEFS SuperStar Teacher of the Quarter
Monika Moorman, a 4th-grade teacher at Central Park Elementary in Broward County has been named the SEFS SuperStar Teacher of the Quarter.
Applications Now Open for Scientist in Every Florida School “Hydrosphere” Professional Development Workshop
The virtual workshop will take place via Zoom from July 5-9, 2021.
SEFS Searches for Recipient of the Next SEFS SuperStar Teacher Awardee
This award honors a K-12 teacher that goes above and beyond to share their passion for teaching science through the delivery of SEFS related content.
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