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: Through this free program, our mission is to build long-term collaborative relationships between teachers and scientists, to better integrate current scientific research and big data into classroom lessons that adhere to Florida Sunshine State Standards; and in so doing, will connect a scientist with every Florida school in the state.
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. As the name implies, the project mission is to connect all Florida schools with scientists yearly through a variety of platforms.
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 components
- K-12 teacher professional development
- Scientist classroom visits (in-person & virtual)
- Facilitating teacher-scientist relationships
- Webinar series for teachers
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
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