The
education section pages of this website have been compiled to assist
teachers, students and professionals in gathering educational resources
centered on the Greater Everglades ecosystem. If you know of other resources
that should be listed on these pages, please contact Sandra Jurban
.
Bringing the Everglades Into the Classroom
Thanks to a joint education venture, students can now journey through
the Everglades ecosystem -- without ever leaving their classroom.
In April 2002, middle schools throughout the South
Florida Water Management District's 16-county jurisdiction received
copies of a new resource guide designed to increase awareness and understanding
of the Everglades.
Developed in conjunction with the Newspapers In Education
program, Everglades - An American Treasure will bring to life the interconnected
Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Everglades watershed and the unprecedented state/federal
efforts now under way to restore and revitalize this extraordinary ecosystem.
The South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (COE) -- along with the School District of Palm Beach County,
Palm Beach Newspapers, Inc., the Philippe Cousteau Foundation, and others
-- partnered together to develop the new and exciting educational resource
for educators and students alike.
"Everglades restoration is a complex and long-term endeavor. Because
today's students are tomorrow's decision-makers and natural resource
stewards, classroom education is an important component of our overall
public outreach activities," said SFWMD Executive Director Henry
Dean.
Colonel Greg May, Commander of the COE Jacksonville District, said
his agency is making Everglades education a public outreach priority.
"Partnerships such as this allow us to get accurate and interesting
information into the classrooms via the most effective means,"
said Colonel May.
In Palm Beach County, the Everglades lesson will be
delivered to and taught in every public middle school. Through the Newspapers
In Education program network, other South Florida newspapers are supporting
this effort by delivering the Everglades material to additional local
classrooms. These include: the Orlando Sentinel, the Fort Myers News
Press, the Naples Daily News, the Miami Herald, Scripps Publications
(Martin/St. Lucie) and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.
Combined with proposed distribution to other youth
and adult education outlets, this collaborative effort will yield almost
200,000 copies of the Everglades material for public education purposes.
A high-school level version and a companion video production are slated
for the fall.
To request copies of Everglades - An American Treasure
- contact Jessica Morales at
SFWMD.
For more information about the booklet and a Teacher's
Guide -
1-800-432-2045 ext. 6204.
Overview
