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WHAT IS IT?
6-12th Grade Everglades
CHAMPIONS IN ACTION
™
Does your school have what it takes to help protect and restore
America’s Everglades?
The Everglades Foundation is seeking Everglades-trained middle and high school educators that are ready to be part of a collective action to help protect and restore the Everglades by participating in our 6-12th Grade Everglades Champions in Action.
6-12th Grade Everglades Champions In Action is a student-centered, standards-aligned, environmental civic action program that empowers and guides young students as they learn about the Everglades and gives them the opportunity to take civic action to address issues they discover.
Program Benefits:
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Participants may increase their environmental stewardship and awareness.
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Participants will develop youth-adult partnership that create sustainable civic change in their local ecological communities.
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Lead educators will receive compensation pending completion of all program requirements.
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Lead educators may be eligible to receive some project funding for their civic action project conducted for this program.
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Schools will receive branded Everglades Champions awards & materials.
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Schools may receive school district recognition their Everglades Champions status.
Questions? Contact the Program Manager at atorres@evergladesfoundation.org:
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE?
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Any Florida public, private, charter, or parochial school teacher serving students in grades 6-12 is eligible to participate in the program. Teacher compensation is limited to 2 teachers per school site.
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Teachers participating in the program must already have attended a Middle/High School Everglades Literacy Teacher Training provided by and/or endorsed by The Everglades Foundation within the last three years.
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Teachers must be able to implement this program with a minimum of 10 middle/high school students in either the classroom, afterschool, or a club setting.
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It is highly recommended that teachers participating in the ECIA are already familiar with implementing Everglades lessons from the Everglades Literacy Teacher Toolkit.
OUR STEP BY STEP PROCESS
Let us know your school is ready to become a 6-12 Everglades
Champion by completing the steps below.
Current applicants can use this link to record and document your school’s Everglades initiatives on your Final Reporting Form.
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EXPLORE OUR 6-12th Grade Champions in Action
PROGRAM RESOURCES
TEACHER TESTIMONIALS
It was a learning experience for me having students complete a civic project and letting go of the reins. This group of students did need some guidance but they did not give up!
SUSAN HAHN / MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATOR
Watching the students take the lead on this project was great. Knowing that they were working from a place of wanting to help preserve the Everglades instead of just working for a grade is the kind of thing you love as a teacher. I was really proud of the leadership they showed and the motivation they had for completing the project.
CHRIS BOWERS / MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATOR
Seeing my students accomplish what they set their mind to was amazing. They learned so much of what goes into trying to educate students/adults about native species. They were so excited through the entire project that it was well worth the stress of trying to fit everything in around Earth Space science that they needed to know by the end of the year.
ERIN MAGEE / MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATORR
I am ecstatic that we were able to complete this project. I loved the way the students wanted to have an impact and how they owned the process. I would have liked them to push through the limitations and frustration of canceled meetings with the town and the extensive reading of the material the town gave us, however, the process made them realize that creating policy change can be an uphill battle that takes an extensive amount of time and energy. I feel the process is invaluable and so needed by students to experience. Our morning meetings utilizing the Everglades Toolkit and the rich discussions that we had about the Everglades will stay with these students throughout their lives.
ELIZABETH REBUSTILLO / MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATORR
The students learned more about the Everglades than they ever have before and in the process will be better stewards of the environment. They developed a greater sense of ownership for their school community and overcame any reservations about presenting their findings and project to others. They accomplished what they set out to do and this will serve as a good springboard for further action on water quality as it remains a major issue affecting the Everglades.
KITHARA REID-COATES / HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATOR
I am extremely happy because I have witnessed my students take ownership over an issue - and our classroom pets by extension - and have seen it morph and evolve into something that our school actually uses to promote the Conservation Mission and Vision of this school. I have seen how much the students love to adopt and care for animals and the effect it has on younger students. This project is something I plan to integrate every year moving forward.
DANIEL VALLE / HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATOR