Students aren't the only ones having fun this summer! 18 educators representing Manatee County had the opportunity to attend a Marine Science workshop at MarineLab, an environmental education center in Key Largo.
They teach at Anna Maria Elementary, King Middle, Manatee High, Braden River High, Lakewood Ranch High, Palmetto High and Parrish Community High.
They studied important ecosystems, attended lectures, and even took a boat trip to a mangrove forest and seagrass bed.
The educators snorkeled and observed the different organisms that thrive in those habitats.
They also participated in hands-on labs and collaborated on ways to bring their experiences back to their classrooms.
The group took two boat trips to the reefs off Key Largo and participated in citizen science projects, monitoring coral bleaching and identifying fish abundance for REEF, which stands for Reef Environmental Education Foundation.
They also had a private tour of Mote Marine's Coral Nursery, where they learned about the research conducted and even participated in micro-fragmenting coral for out-planting on the reef.
This experiential learning experience helped the educators build their expertise and comfort level in teaching marine science to students of all grade levels.
The district hopes to bring more educators back in future years for this outstanding teacher workshop.
Special thanks to Amber Platowski, Curriculum Coordinator, for sharing this Good News.