Applications open NOW for our July 29-30, 2024, Marianna, FL, session on Plant Gene/Genome Editing! Apply by July 10, 11:59pm ET, for priority consideration.
We are pleased to announce the second in our primary series of workshops funded by USDA NIFA. This Plant Gene Editing workshop will be hosted at the UF North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna, FL.
We are looking especially for educators of high school age learners in the rural northeast and northwest/Panhandle Florida regions. Educators from formal, informal, and nonformal contexts are all welcome.
Questions about disability accommodations planned or available? See bottom of the post for contact information.
The University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences is pleased to offer a workshop series focused on interdisciplinary science topics for STEM and Agriculture educators of secondary school age learners. The primary Cultivating STEM Curiosity: Adapting Lessons for Authentic STEM and Ag Connections (CSC) Workshops will help you re-work classroom lessons to incorporate science and agricultural research that is contemporary and relevant to your local context with a focus on increasing access for all learners. Each primary workshop session features a different content area tied to UF/IFAS research!
We will also host a series of half-day followup workshops for educators who may not want to re-design their own lessons but instead access examples from other educators on more than one topic. We anticipate these workshops will be held in conjunction with educator conferences such as League of Environmental Educators of Florida or Florida Career and Technical Education conferences in the 2024-25 school year. For more information on these workshops, please email or call us! You can also post comments here.
What does the primary redesign workshop (in-person portion July 29-30) look like?
The primary CSC workshop features has three parts, totaling 26 instruction hours:
- A virtual, asynchronous, 6-hour component on Facilitating STEM for All Learners, completed through UF Canvas before the in-person sessions.
- A synchronous, in-person evening and following day (12 hours total) focusing on discussions of goals, collaboration with scientists and education researchers and fellow teachers, lab and field research tours, and presentations of research content.
- Choice of at least 2 synchronous 4-hour virtual sessions focused on re-designing a program session, lesson, unit, or longer curriculum piece (8 hours total). These dates will be determined by participants but held in the months following the in-person sessions.
How do I apply?
Complete a brief form, simply requesting name, learners, course(s), and learning setting information. We anticipate it will take no more than 10 minutes to complete and requires no additional documentation such as principal/supervisor approval (though we encourage you to make arrangements with your principal/supervisor for needed approvals before applying).
If you are in the process and have questions about whether your application was submitted:
-Try to submit an application again – if the system doesn’t allow it, you should have applied successfully. If we get any duplicates, we will remove them.
For any application issues, please contact Lauren Keiser, lkeiser@ufl.edu
Who should consider applying?
For the CSC workshops, we are prioritizing 9th-12th grade science/STEM, agriculture, and CTE educators who work with non-U.S. majority student populations in rural areas in Alachua County, North Florida, and the NEFEC and PAEC regions. Teachers from rural Georgia and Alabama are welcome as well. Middle school age educators will be welcome as space allows. Attendees from previous CSC versions may be accepted as space allows, but we will prioritize new registrants.
Costs covered and stipends offered:
- $75 for substitute teacher coverage (in summer, must be teaching summer courses to receive this reimbursement to the school)
- Heavy hors d’oeuvres for evening; and Breakfast, lunch, coffee on full day workshop are included.
- Hotel room available (double occupancy) for the evening overnight (hotel stay not required)
- $500 stipend upon completion of all three components and research/evaluation activities during the following school year.
- Parking
Workshop 2: Plant Gene Editing
July 29 location, overnight hotel: Fairfield Inn, Marianna, FL.
July 30 location: UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center, Marianna, FL. We may provide bus transportation to/from the Fairfield Inn due to limited parking on site.
Hosts: Dr. Katie Stofer, UF Agricultural Education and Communication, Dr. Heather Kent, UF/IFAS 4-H
Scientist lead partner: Dr. Barry Tillman, Professor of Agronomy and Assistant Director, UF/IFAS NFREC.
In-person portion basic agenda:
Day 1
1:00pm CDT: Registration
1pm – 6pm: Evening welcome reception and introduction to the workshop
- Discussion of facilitating STEM teaching for all
- Setting goals for re-designed lessons with teaching for all and authentic STEM focus
- Content presentations, Dr. Tillman and lab members
Day 2 Full Day
Check out of hotel and store or bring luggage.
8:00am – 4:00pm
- Content presentations on authentic research on plant gene editing in Florida
- Tours of research facilities
- Lunch
- Content presentations on authentic STEM lesson planning for all
- Initial collaborations on lesson re-design
- Sharing of initial plans
- Introduction to the virtual follow-up sessions
- Wrap-up and depart for home
Virtual follow-up sessions (Dates and times TBD)
Continue the collaborative lesson re-design and feature interim and final presentations of re-designed lessons. Participants will select at least two, 4-hour sessions (tentatively, but 8 hours total) to attend to work virtually with STEM professionals with expertise in authentic research content, UF Education experts, and fellow educators to re-design their lessons to feature authentic, local, and contemporary science content for all learners. Virtual sessions will take place in the months following the in-person sessions.
After completion of the 3 components of the workshop, teachers will receive certification of their completion and, if interested, may be invited to share their lesson at upcoming workshops with fellow teachers as an example of lessons on authentic STEM learning for all students. These workshops will be planned for later 2024 and 2025, such as at the Florida Association of Science Teachers conference in October.
Watch this space for updates on the next workshops to incorporate science and agricultural research that is contemporary and relevant to your local context with a focus on increasing access for all learners.
Questions?
Contact Dr. Katie Stofer, (352) 273-3690, especially for accommodation requests relating to disabilities, childcare, or any needs that will facilitate your participation. The July 29-30 workshop is at a site that may require accommodations for people with physical disabilities. We are committed to working with you to be accessible.
Funding provided by USDA NIFA 2021-67037-34216.
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