Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden

The Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden (KWBGS) will create a sustainable environmental education program that supports and reinforces the standards-driven science instruction in the local school district in order to increase students' engagement with, and mastery of, science concepts. Young learners, particularly students in fourth grade, were identified by local teachers as needing help recognizing, investigating, and explaining the concepts articulated in state-mandated science benchmarks, and the museum's hands-on activities help to enhance student learning by allowing them to explore the natural world around them in an outdoor classroom experience. KWBGS will take one year to plan a program, and then form a committee of key staff, public school teachers, and docents to develop activities that teach science benchmarks focusing on garden resources integrated with technology. The new curriculum will align with the national Common Core standards, Florida Department of Education Science standards, KWBGS' mission and strategic plan, and the local school District's science benchmarks.