Environmental Service - Learning Institute

Day Springs Conference Center

Ellenton, Florida

November 2-4, 2003

Ivan Mish, Environmental Instructor, Lavon Silvernell, Trout Lake Nature Center, Lance Riley, PhD candidate UF and four Alee students attended an environmental workshop for the purpose of writing a grant that would benefit the needs of Alee Academy and Trout Lake. The first day was spend getting down and dirty on an actual environmental service-learning project in the field. This was a hands-on introduction for the purpose of grant implementation.

Day two and three were spend in workshops designed to create action plans that would lead to implementation of environmental grants. There were breakout sessions on Service Learning 101, Earth Force, Legacy Projects, Service learning database, Service Learning for at-risks students and the art of change. These were designed to help the teams crate an action plan.

Implementation Grands will be awarded to institutions that demonstrate a desire, and submit an action plan, to infuse service learning into their environmental education programs. This action plan must begin to address the following goals:

  1. Create/expand strong partnerships between K-12, higher education and environmental community organizations.
  2. Use those partnerships to address environmental issues that are of community Concern.
  3. Use service learning as a means to address those issues identified as an environmental community concern
  4. Community organizations benefit from service learning and continue to partner with institutions of K-20 education to address community needs.

An Implementation Grant will be given to each team that submits and Action Plan, approved by Florida Learn & Serve, Florida Campus Compact, Florida CHESP and Title IV Community Service Grants, following the Environmental Service-Learning Institute.

Our Grant will be entitled Invasive Plan Education and Eradication Initiative.