More than 200 teachers and educators from 89 schools, 15 counties, and 10 organizations across Florida convened in Miami July 15-16 for the 7th annual Everglades Teacher Symposium. The event marked the 10th anniversary of the Everglades Literacy Program, launched by The Everglades Foundation in 2014 to educate and empower the next generation to restore and protect America’s Everglades.
Each year, the free, 2-day symposium allows teachers to participate in professional development sessions, share best practices, get creative, and network.
This year’s event kicked off with award-winning National Geographic photographer and Foundation Board member Mac Stone mesmerizing the crowd through a series of images captured in often elusive areas of the Everglades. “The camera allows me to distill complex issues into simpler issues through imagery,” said Stone, adding, “Photography can reveal worlds we never knew before.”
Stone’s presentation was followed by an overview of educational resources associated with the moving 2022 film, “Path of the Panther,” which enlightens viewers about the biodiversity of the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the impact of declining habitat on the Florida panther population.
Teachers also were given a refresher about the Everglades Literacy Program’s “EcoQuest,” the first free online learning platform with educational games about the Everglades, created in partnership with Florida Power & Light. Other sessions prepared teachers to guide their students through nature journaling and dichotomous keys, and inspired them to design a dream national park, following a presentation by an Everglades National Park ranger.
“I love teaching my students about the diversity of wildlife in the Everglades, telling them about Everglades National Park, and about areas of the Everglades that exist across the state,” said grade 9-12 teacher Jennifer Royce from Palm Beach Central High School. “The Everglades Literacy Program allows us to teach students how plants, animals and humans rely on the Everglades for so much.”
The Symposium was hosted at the Kovens Conference Center at Florida International University. The campus' prime location near Biscayne Bay provided teachers the opportunity the day prior to participate in field trips including a kayak tour at Oleta River State Park, an Everglades airboat tour, and a behind-the-scenes tour at the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, complete with a birding cruise and the release of a rehabilitated Ibis.
“I was born and raised in Miami, so I’ve been exposed to the Everglades all my life, and I’ve seen how the ecosystem and its habitats have changed,” said Kelly Cabrera, second-grade teacher at Howard Drive Elementary School in Miami-Dade County. “The Everglades needs our help now more than ever. This symposium allows us to share information and ideas that we can take back to the classroom and inspire our students to help save the Everglades.”
“The Everglades Foundation understands that the students of today are the Everglades conservation stewards of tomorrow,” said the Foundation’s VP of Education Jennifer Diaz, who has led the Literacy program since its inception. “Educating our youth about the Everglades and motivating them to take action is the best way to ensure that this national treasure is restored and protected. After all, who will fight for the future of the Everglades if not the people who live and play here?”
To learn more about the Everglades Literacy Program and the 2024 Teacher Symposium, visit https://www.evergladesliteracy.org/symposium-2024.
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