Florida Tech to Offer STEM Educators’ Summer Workshops for High School Teachers

MELBOURNE, FLA. — Florida Tech is offering two unique and powerful summer educational experiences for Florida high school teachers that will empower participants to supercharge their own teaching with hands-on learning and STEM-based principles.

The five-day programs run concurrently from June 3-7 (checkout is June 8) on or near the Florida Tech campus in Melbourne. The cost is $3,250 per person including housing and meals; a meals-only package is $3,000 per person.

“Florida Tech leads the way in both STEM education and experiential learning, so we are very excited to channel these twin strengths into unforgettable, impactful programming for teachers in the Sunshine State,” said Munevver Subasi, associate provost for academic affairs.

Here’s a closer look at the programs.

FutureCraft Educators Workshop: This immersive program, organized by the university’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovative Design (CAMID), is tailored to empower educators with the skills, knowledge and confidence to bring advanced manufacturing, coding, robotics and the ethical use of AI into their teaching practices.

It is ideal for secondary science teachers, educational technology enthusiasts and educators looking to incorporate more hands-on, project-based learning into their classrooms.

Participants will not just learn programming basics but how to engage students in interactive and problem-solving activities. They will learn not just about advanced manufacturing but also techniques for how to incorporate these skills into their curriculum to enhance creativity and technical understanding among students.

And they will learn about the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence and ways to responsibly introduce AI concepts and its ethical use to students.

FutureCosmos Educators Workshop: This immersive workshop, organized by Florida Tech’s Ortega Telescope team (the telescope is pictured above), is tailored to empower educators with the skills, knowledge and confidence to infuse space science, astrophotography, data analysis and interpretation into their teaching practices.

It is ideal for secondary science teachers, astronomy enthusiasts and educators seeking to enrich their classrooms with hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences centered around space science.

Participants will embark on a celestial journey into astronomy and astrophysics, where they will experience engaging ways to captivate students with interactive stargazing sessions, problem-solving activities and the exploration of archived/public observation data that can be downloaded and processed by anyone.

They will be exposed to astrophotography and use data analysis in hands-on experiences interpreting astronomical datasets.  

Matt Susin, chair of the Brevard Public Schools school board, said participants in the university’s inaugural STEM workshops last year saw both immediate and long-lasting benefits.

“Florida Tech has put together a fantastic, one-of-a-kind summer STEM teacher development program for our Florida educators,” Susin said. “After looking at the metrics-based results from educators who attended last year who implemented the program in their classrooms and hearing positive feedback from our administrators, teachers, and students, it is imperative our state’s STEM teachers continue to take advantage of this Florida Tech opportunity in 2024.”