K-12 PROGRAMS

The following programs are designed specifically for K-12 students.

AMBASSADORS OF THE EVERGLADES

3-part classroom/field program (two classroom periods, one half day field trip)
grades 5-12

Ambassadors of the Everglades is an environmental education program that seeks to enhance Everglades knowledge and stewardship. A three-part program designed for grades 5-12, it helps inspire civic responsibility for our natural resources. After an initial classroom visit, where students learn the history of the Everglades and discuss the problems facing it, they take a half-day field trip to Torry Island in Lake Okeechobee to restore a historic pond apple forest that once thrived there. Students and teacher plant trees and explore wetland habitats. Following the trip, Foundation staff returns to the school to facilitate a reflective post-visit using FCAT-style questions to review what has been learned. Core themes include Florida’s geologic history and Everglades formation, the importance of wetlands, ecological functions, human changes to the natural system, Everglades restoration, and what young people can do to help.

An expanded Ambassador experience is also available, which includes monthly pre-visits with increasingly detailed lessons about the Florida Everglades. In addition to the core themes listed above, the expanded program covers plant and animal adaptations, Native Americans in the Glades, changes to the historic system, and in-depth study of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). Lessons are interdisciplinary and flexible enough to meet the needs of the class curriculum.

EVERGLADES TO YOU (EG2U)

classroom presentation (one classroom period)
all age groups

For many teachers, taking students off school grounds for field trips is difficult due to fuel costs, security concerns, and lack of time. While nothing can substitute for an actual visit to the Everglades, the Foundation has developed effective in-class presentations such as EG2U, designed for a variety of ages and to fit within a classroom period. The presentation uses visuals (e.g. PowerPoint) mixed with pass-around objects, activities, and interactive games. Depending on the age range of the students, topics include: what a wetland is, adaptations of Everglades plants and animals, ecological services of wetlands, human changes to waterflow, and where you can see the Everglades in Palm Beach County. EG2U covers basic Everglades history, ecology and human impact, inspiring students to visit the Everglades with their family.

FIELD EXPERIENCE IN THE EVERGLADES

field program (half to full day field trip)
all age groups

Join a naturalist in the field to give your students a firsthand look at Everglades plants, animals and habitats. Through a partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, we will visit the northern Everglades in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. Students will see and feel the Cypress Swamp, observe wading birds in the open Marsh, examine wetland plant adaptations, and learn how South Florida depends on the Everglades.

CUSTOM PROGRAMS

presentation and/or field program
all age groups

The Everglades provides a rich background to teach a variety of concepts, allowing us to develop programs to meet a wide range of audiences. The Foundation routinely delivers environmental education programs to scout groups, afterschool programs, youth groups, community organizations, and to the general public through local institutions such as the West Palm Beach Library. Additionally, through our partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we offer guided visits to the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

WETLANDS: WEIRD, WILD AND WONDERFUL (SUMMER CAMP CURRICULUM)

presentation (up to 2 hours)
all age groups

During the summer, the Foundation travels to established camps to deliver Everglades education and activities for campers in Palm Beach County. We provide an (up to) two-hour program on the Florida Everglades which includes a presentation, interactive games, and other activities. The curriculum explores topics including what a wetland is, why wetlands are important, wetlands adaptations, human changes to the natural system, Everglades restoration, and what young people can do to help.

TEACHER WORKSHOPS

presentation and/or field experience
professional educators

The Marshall Foundation brings Everglades education to the teachers at your school. Using hands-on objects and reproducible activities and materials, your staff will learn to integrate the Everglades into the classroom curriculum and how to help students understand how South Florida depends on this natural resource.

Since 2008, the Foundation has partnered with the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach and the US Fish & Wildlife Service to deliver teacher education programs (Indoors & Out: Connecting Classrooms to Nature) to improve science learning in Palm Beach County schools. This program is available for schools.

THE EVERGLADES: THROUGH THE EYES OF CHILDREN STUDENT PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT

field experience
grades K-12

This program provides instruction in the arts and sciences to diverse students who learn about the Everglades through nature photography. Students participate in workshops and fieldtrips that build skills, knowledge, and compassion about the art of photographing the Everglades. Students learn from each other and are inspired by professional photographers as they document flora, fauna, and people at our community volunteer programs. The project culminates with a traveling display of the winning photography. This project is made possible by the Palm Beach Cultural Council.

For further information about Everglades education opportunities for your students or group, please contact Eric Gehring, Director of Education, at 561-805-TREE (8733) or via e-mail: education@artmarshall.com.