This year’s theme was “Go With the Flow – From Kissimmee to Monroe”
We welcomed over 150 teachers to the second annual Everglades Teacher Symposium, Go With The Flow: From Kissimmee to Monroe!
Candace Blake from Coral Springs High School, Diana Ross from Santaluces High School, Dr. Rachel Wellman from Boca Raton High School, & Carla Case Sweeny from Santaluces High School
Palmetto Bay, Fla. (July 31, 2019) – The Everglades Foundation is pleased to announce that its second annual Teacher Symposium brought together over 150 educators from across the state – nearly twice as many as last year – to learn new strategies and best practices to enhance Everglades literacy in schools. The event was held on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 at the Long Key Natural Area and Nature Center in Davie, Fla., and was themed, “Go With the Flow: From Kissimmee to Monroe” – a reference to the Everglades’ historic water flow south from the Kissimmee River to Monroe County in the Florida Keys.
Captain Benny Blanco, Keynote Speaker, President of the Everglades Guides Association and Host of Florida’s Sportsman Watermen TV
Speakers at the event included Captain Benny Blanco, fishing guide in Everglades National Park, President of the Everglades Guides Association and Host of Florida Sportsman (FS) Watermen TV; Shannon Estenoz, Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Science and Education at The Everglades Foundation; and Alicia Torres, Coordinator of Education Programs and Training at FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center.
Everglades Literacy Program Assistant, Susan Toth, speaking to participants in an Everglades Literacy Field Experiment
In addition to ice breaker activities and keynote speakers, the program included a recognition of this year’s 22 “Champion Schools” in Florida. The Everglades Champion Schools Recognition Program (ECSRP) is designed to showcase, recognize and model exceptional accomplishments of students, faculty and their schools, as they move beyond a curriculum, and make Everglades conservation a core value of their institutions.
The Everglades Literacy Program was founded in 2014. The core of the program is the Everglades Literacy Conceptual Framework, created by scientists and educators to define what it means to be “Everglades literate.” With the framework in place, the Foundation developed a series of K-12 lessons, three for each grade level, focusing on the importance of America’s Everglades. To date, The Everglades Foundation has trained nearly 3,000 teachers throughout 21 counties in Florida.
Teachers and administration of Gold-Level Champion School, Coral Reef Elementary, taking full advantage of the resources provided day-of, including a conversation with NatureScape Broward.
The Everglades Foundation’s Literacy Program is made possible by the support of Community Foundation of Broward, Community Foundation of Palm Beach & Martin County, The Batchelor Foundation, Florida Power and Light, and SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment.
The Everglades Literacy program is made possible by the support of our sponsors: The Community Foundation of Broward, Community Foundation of Palm Beach and Martin Counties, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Florida Power and Light, and The Batchelor Foundation. A special thank you to our In-Kind Donors and Exhibitors that helped make the second annual Everglades Teacher Symposium a success!
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About The Everglades Foundation
The Everglades Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to leading efforts to restore and protect the greater Everglades ecosystem. Since its founding in 1993 by a group of local outdoor enthusiasts, the Foundation has become a respected and important advocate for the sustainability of one of the world’s most unique ecosystems. For more information about The Everglades Foundation, please visit EvergladesFoundation.org.
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