Inwater Research Group Reaches Thousands of Students With Innovative Curriculum
Rebecca Mott, IRG Education Program Manager
With summer right around the corner and the school year coming to an end, we’d like to share some of our education program highlights and successes! Last April, the National Save The Sea Turtle Foundation donated a generous $31,350 to Inwater Research Group (IRG) with the sole purpose of continuing their international education initiative. Funds from this grant go toward creating and maintaining engaging,
dynamic, and interactive school programs for K-12 students.
The main goal of the grant was to translate IRG’s sea turtle research into meaningful education messages for children. The initiative is entirely free
The main goal of the grant was to translate IRG’s sea turtle research into meaningful education messages for children. The initiative is entirely free
Inwater Research Group’s innovative “Turtle Trunk” includes all of the items students need to conduct ‘real world’ science and conservation
with sea turtles. Mock turtles with various ‘ailments’ must be identified, cataloged, diagnosed, and assigned an appropriate
treatment and recovery plan.
to teachers and includes tailor-made lesson plans, in-class outreach presentations, and our new traveling trunks. Just this past year alone, we’ve been able to reach over 20,000 students with these programs. Students as far reaching as Hong Kong have participated in our lesson plans, and local students have joined in our outreach presentations. Here’s what one survey participant said:
“Outreach programs such as this benefit students in so many ways. As a teacher, I am able to connect these lessons across the curriculum in a way that engages students on a deep level. Students’ learning is positively affected when they are able to connect deeply to topics and outreach programs really get them involved. The fact that it’s free makes it easier for our administrators to “buy in” to nontraditional teaching and learning.”
Last October, we decided to launch a new and exciting educational opportunity for local teachers. Our “Traveling Turtles” program consists of an all-inclusive
“Outreach programs such as this benefit students in so many ways. As a teacher, I am able to connect these lessons across the curriculum in a way that engages students on a deep level. Students’ learning is positively affected when they are able to connect deeply to topics and outreach programs really get them involved. The fact that it’s free makes it easier for our administrators to “buy in” to nontraditional teaching and learning.”
Last October, we decided to launch a new and exciting educational opportunity for local teachers. Our “Traveling Turtles” program consists of an all-inclusive
trunk, containing all the education material teachers would need to carry out four conservation-based lesson plans. The trunks include skull replicas of Florida’s sea turtles, biological tools for measuring, individualized model turtles, and a ready-made lesson binder. Curricula for this program takes students on a journey through sea turtle anatomy, nesting behaviors, population sampling and more!
Students can step into the role of biologist and “work up” their own turtle as they go through a mock data sheet. The program is designed to show
students what it’s like to be a real scientist and how to apply math and science in real ways.
While we’re sad to see another school year come to a close, we’re excited for all the possibilities next year holds. Here’s a look back at the impact some of our programs had this past year:
Lesson Plans: 25,000+ students worldwide
Outreach Presentations: 1,500+ students in Martin and St. Lucie County
Traveling Trunks: 4,000+ students
As always, this grant allows each of our programs to be offered to teachers free of charge. To learn more about our collaborative education initiative offered through IRG, please visit
Outreach Presentations: 1,500+ students in Martin and St. Lucie County
Traveling Trunks: 4,000+ students
As always, this grant allows each of our programs to be offered to teachers free of charge. To learn more about our collaborative education initiative offered through IRG, please visit
