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.
Contact
Brian Abramowitz
K-12 Education & Outreach Coordinator
Phone: 516-225-9390
Email: babramowitz@floridamuseum.ufl.edu
Stephanie Killingsworth
K-12 Education & Outreach Coordinator
Phone: 561-644-2397
Email: skillingsworth@floridamuseum.ufl.edu
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.
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