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TALLAHASSEE ? The Florida Department of Environmental Protection?s (DEP)
Learning in Florida?s Environment (LIFE) Program, recently reached a major
milestone, just four years after starting the program. Through the LIFE program,
more than 5,000 students and teachers now have more scientific knowledge and a
greater understanding of Florida?s natural environment.
?Educating more than 5,000 students and teachers statewide is an important
and significant accomplishment for such a young program,? said DEP Secretary
Michael W. Sole. ?The LIFE program is not a curriculum, but a process that
builds on lessons learned over decades of scientific research, going beyond the
traditional field trip, beyond classroom walls, allowing students to explore
Florida?s unique natural communities and gain a broader understanding of their
environment and the importance of protecting it.?
Started in 2004, the LIFE program now includes 12 sites around the state,
with the 13th site to begin in Columbia County this month, making it the single
largest field-based, middle-school, environmental science program in the state.
LIFE program sites include:
1. Apalachicola National Estuarine Research
Reserve (Franklin County)
2. Wakulla Springs State Park (Wakulla County)
3. Ichetucknee Springs State Park (Columbia County)
4. Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas
National Estuarine Research Reserve (St. Johns County)
5. St. Sebastian River
State Park (Indian River County)
6. Savannas Preserve State Park (St. Lucie
County)
7. Honeymoon Island State Park (Pinellas County)
8. Leon Sinks
Geological Area (Leon County)
9. Florida Caverns State Park (Jackson County)
10.
North Florida Community College (Madison County)
11. Werner Boyce Salt Spring
State Park (Pasco County)
12. Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park (Okaloosa
County)
13. Lake City (Columbia) starting in January 2009
?By reaching 5,000 students and teachers over the last four years, we are
achieving our goals to increase student achievement in science and build local
environmental stewardship while at the same time increasing the likelihood that
underserved and underrepresented students will pursue coursework, degrees and
careers in science,? said DEP?s Director of Environmental Education Greg Ira.
?When students actually see and touch the resources they are learning about, it
often helps them understand complex scientific concepts, value of our natural
resources, and, hopefully, become better stewards of our environment.?
The LIFE program with its combination of field-based learning for students
and continuous professional development for teachers provides both immediate and
long-term benefits for partner schools.
Prior to each field experience students are given a ten question test about
the topics covered in the upcoming field labs and then retested following the
outdoor activities to see if an increase in understanding took place. Based on
initial data from LIFE program sites during the 2005-2007 period, student post
test scores increased by an average of 60%.
Students are also surveyed to learn how the program influences their
attitudes and behavior toward the environment. For example, last year, more than
69 percent of students surveyed either agreed with or strongly agreed with the
statement that, ?The outdoor field activities have made me more interested in
science.? In addition, teachers provide feedback to determine the extent to
which the program meets its own goals of strengthening science instruction among
participating teachers. Results from the 2007-2008 school year indicate that
nearly 93 percent of teachers agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: ?The
LIFE Program and its associated professional development opportunities have
increased my ability to teach science effectively.?
Recognizing the success of the initiative, the LIFE program received two
national awards. The program received first place in 2007 for the ?Gulf Guardian
Award for Youth/Education? presented by the Gulf of Mexico Program as well as a
?Coastal America Award? presented by the Coastal America Partnership that
recognizes partnerships between state and federal agencies involved in Coastal
Resource Management around the country.
What makes the LIFE Program really stand out is the fact that it is the first
statewide network of field sites all following a set of best practices related
to science and environmental education outside of the classroom. By establishing
a set of ten guiding principles to promote program quality and continuity (and
still leave room for local needs and conditions) the LIFE program created a
franchise for science-based experiential environmental education for schools on
public lands in Florida. This approach opens up the possibility of continued
expansion of the program as well as participation from other government
agencies, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations involved in
conservation, resource management, the environment and science education. For
more information about the LIFE program including opportunities to sponsor or
support a LIFE program, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/ed | 
2012 State of Florida