FCE LTER Education and Outreach brings students, teachers, community, and research scientists together to develop a deeper understanding of the intricate ecosystems and ecology of the Coastal Everglades. To reach this goal, Education and Outreach has four main areas of focus: Ecological Training, Cross Site Collaboration, Environmental Literacy, and Community Partnerships.
Ecological Training: FCE directly pairs high school students with LTER scientists and allows the students to perform their own research. Over 30 high school students have been paired with FCE researchers since 2000. Several of these students have participated and placed in local, state, and international science competitions. One student was awarded 2nd Place at the Intel International competition.
Cross Site Collaboration: Through collaboration with other programs studying the Coastal Everglades, over 30 students and 40 teachers have participated in technology-related ecology research. The lessons developed by the teachers have since impacted over a hundred students.
Environmental Literacy: New curriculum and activities are being written to examine the relationship between society and the environment, including the history of the Native Americans in South Florida. These lessons will be piloted in the classroom and will become available through this site.
Community Partnerships: Over the last several years, FCE has established community partnerships with the goal of creating citizen education programs. Partnerships include Everglades National Park, the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science, the National Parks Foundation, CEMEX, and the Deering Estate.
