Exploring Authentic Conservation Education: Teachers as Ambassadors for Change

Join Stiles-Nicholson STEM Teacher Academy and Inwater Research Group on this place-based field experience, the nearshore waters off the coast become a classroom with instruction being led by those conducting the research, generating authenticity. Teachers become active participants in conservation, and more importantly, ambassadors for change, which they then bring back to their schools.

Teachers will spend the morning on a chartered boat at one of our local, active study sites. They will watch us bring threatened and endangered species aboard our vessel and collect data, as they ask questions and learn about the various species. Educators will be able to see how our trunk programs mirror the research we conduct, down to the scientific tools and anatomically correct sea turtle model. During the workshop portion, we will unpack our trunk programs and showcase lessons from each, walking teachers through the programs. They will get hands-on in the same capacity as their students as they learn about the trunk contents, standards, and connections for their students.