Create a Path to Science Careers video
More Information - Science Communication Opportunities
Create a Science Education video
More Information - Science Communication Opportunities
If you’re a Whitney Grad Student or Post doc looking for ways to fulfill your grant obligation, mentorship plan, gain experience for your CV, or curious about whether you would enjoy informal education, I encourage you to take a look below at the compiled list of opportunities available to you.
If you would like to participate, or wish to discuss how to utilize any in grants, contact Education Program Manager, Brenda Cannaliato, Brenda@whitney.ufl.edu, 904-201-8406 or stop by office #203 located upstairs in the CMS.
Teaching Opportunities
K-6th
Bring your research animal or a model representation and join our Zoo crew for one of our Special Traveling Zoo Events.
- Local Library events - In person on various dates throughout the year.
- Alachua County Library Summer Series – Via zoom – Specific dates.
- Kids Ocean Day – Around Earth day each spring. This year’s event is Friday, April 22nd at Anastasia state Park.
- Stem nights – Held on various dates at local schools, usually in the fall or spring. Bring your research animal, a model/skeleton, or an activity for the students.
High School
Participate in our High School Program. This two-hour fieldtrip is offered to certain schools throughout the school year during the day. General timeframe is 10am – 12:00 pm. Juniors or Seniors visit the lab for a marine education experience, and to gain information about careers in science, as well as hear about different career paths. Opportunities include presenting your research/talking about your current position/ telling about your ‘path to a science career’ via discussion or presentation. Dates can be scheduled ahead of time to fit grad students and/or Postdocs availability.
Adults
Whitney Laboratory’s Adult Lifelong Learning Series – Faculty create modules over current research. Once a module is created and piloted by the PI of the lab, it can turn into a teaching opportunity for Postdocs. Modules can be held once or twice a year depending upon availability, Saturdays, with a timeframe of 9am – 1:00pm. Modules do not have to be held in the same month each year, and can be scheduled ahead of time to fit availability.
Mentoring
High School
- Townsend Scholar: For labs interested in a high school summer intern, the Townsend scholarship provides a stipend for a high school student to work in the lab for up to 40 hours a week up to 10 weeks. This requires the supervisor of the minor to be fingerprinted and take a 30-minute online UF youth course.
College
- Matthaei Scholar: Each summer the Matthaei Scholarship provides a stipend for an undergraduate from University of Florida in the environmental science realm.
Scientific Communication
Adults
- Lecture/Animal Demo - Present your research to Whitney Laboratory’s volunteers. Formats that have worked in the past is a 20 -40-minute research talk with PowerPoint followed by animal display and discussion OR a 20-40-minute Research Talk followed by a tour of your lab area OR a 30- 40 minute talk followed by discussion. These talks are held on Friday’s, late August through May, and from start to finish should be at least one hour long, with 1.5 hours being the max. Start time can be 10:00 or 10:30am, ending by 12:00pm.
- Career Day – Participate in Career Day at local high schools. Talk about your science career, career path, and/or current research. Career talks can be done in person and via zoom. Some schools have certain dates for in school career day visits and some individual classroom visits are flexible. If you are interested in participating via zoom, dates are flexible.
High School Students
- Career Day – Participate in Career Day at local high schools. Talk about your science career, career path, and/or current research. Career talks can be done in person and via zoom. Some schools have certain dates for in school career day visits and some individual classroom visits are flexible. If you are interested in participating via zoom, dates are flexible.
Science Café
- Started grassroots style - in 2006. Sciencecafes.org was created by NOVA, scienceNOW and Sigma Xi as a gentle way to expose new audience to your research. Designed to be more ‘engaging’ than typical lecture then questions. Different ways to direct questions from your audience toward your ‘talk’ to keep participates on topic!
- Science cafés can be geared toward Adults or High Schoolers and can be held at a local venue like a Kookaburra, local restaurant, or a facility in which the lab has a relationship with. The format and venue will depend on whether you are targeting adults or high schoolers.