K - 12 Programs

At the Schulze Summer STEM Institute for Teachers Workshop for K-12 educators, participants will be immersed in the research-based practice of writing and facilitating engaging inquiry-based STEM activities focusing on the SW Florida environment.  Inquiry-based pedagogies have been shown to improve student engagement, comprehension, and retention. The workshop infuses technology into the week and incorporates field instruction. FGCU faculty from the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences and Conservancy Staff bring a balance of expertise to you during the workshop week.   The Whitaker Center for STEM Education at FGCU takes a systemic approach to enhancing and reforming STEM education by providing professional development opportunities for K-12 educators, conducting research in STEM teaching and learning, developing innovative curricula, resources, and materials, developing and supporting programs for students, and building strong community partnerships. The Schulze Summer STEM Institute for Teachers workshops are developed through collaboration between the Conservancy of Southwest Florida education staff, Whitaker Center FGCU faculty associates, Vester Marine Field Station, and Lehigh Elementary STEM faculty. The Schulze Summer STEM Institute for Teachers connects real-world environmental research with evidence-based, hands-on instruction. Since 2013, the STEM Institute has worked with over 200 K-12 teachers from the five county area and beyond! Summer camps are also offered at the Conservancy. Your child/children could experience the wildlife of southwest Florida through outdoor adventures, field trips, and nature discoveries, all while you attend our workshop.

For over a decade, the Whitaker Center for STEM Education has sponsored a two week event for middle school students interested in STEM. They must prepare an application to be chosen to participate in a Summer Research Opportunity at Florida Gulf Coast University. SRO offers a hands-on experience of collaboration on a complete and genuine research problem from hypothesis generation and initial design, through field and laboratory data collection, culminating in data analysis and interpretation. The SRO program is staffed by FGCU faculty and Student Assistants and takes place each summer.  Your school is neither endorsing nor sponsoring this event nor endorsing the views of FGCU.

After a tremendous success over the years (since 2015), the organizing team of the FGCU Coding Academy is glad to announce the 2024 Coding Academy (Spring, Summer and Fall). Our immersive Coding Camp offers fun projects, activities, and valuable coding skills with coding programs in Python.

Learn More About the Coding Academy

Established in 2000, FGCU’s Wings of Hope is an environmental education program that connects students through the life of the endangered Florida panther. This nationally and state awarded program is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences as an integral part of co-curricular services. Programs combine academic standards with STEM learning activities for learners to participate free of charge.

Learn more

We also offer a variety of programs that can be tailored for your classroom needs!

Other FGCU department programs:

College of Arts and Sciences K-12 STEM Programs

FGCU Community Engagement and Outreach

Other programs that we engage with:

Sanibel Sea School

Elementary/Middle STEM Camp at IMAG

Conservancy of Southwest Florida

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve