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CORAL STEM Program

U.S.-based secondary science teachers were immersed in a Research Experience for Teachers at the University of Miami in May 2026. They explored how microfossils reveal past ocean and climate conditions and will be implementing related curricula in their classrooms.

Program Details

Creating Opportunities for Research-Aligned Learning in STEM (CORAL STEM) invited secondary science teachers to a week-long, immersive research experience May 10–15, 2026, hosted at the University of Miami in Florida. Teachers worked alongside researchers to analyze beach sand samples and investigate foraminifera (microscopic organisms that record long-term reef health and environmental change) using the same approaches scientists employ in active research. A related curriculum (“Little Creatures With a Big Message”) will be made available soon. In the meantime, browse through resources from the Living Oceans Foundation.

Program Outline:

  1. March 1: Application review begins.
  2. April 8 at 7 PM ET: Participants will attend a 1-hour webinar to prepare for the in-person program the following month.
  3. May 10-15: Participants will travel to Miami, FL, to collect samples on a beach, take a ~3-hour boat tour, spend considerable amount of time looking through a microscope to process the visual and numeric data, and familiarize themselves with the existing curricula.
  4. Fall 2026: Participants will implement the CORAL STEM curriculum at their school (~2-5 days of instruction).

Participants will receive:

  • Hotel accommodations at The Mutiny Hotel.
  • Travel expenses with be reimbursed.
  • Meal reimbursements, per GSA rates, during the in-person program.
  • Early access to the “Little Creatures With a Big Message” curriculum.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Secondary science teacher based in the United States.
  • Ability to commit to implementing a 2-5 day lesson sequence based on the “Little Creatures with a Big Message” curriculum in the fall of 2026.
  • Familiarity with oceans and marine systems, climate and environmental change, Earth systems, human impacts and sustainability.
  • Confirmed availability for participation on April 8 for virtual webinar and May 10-15 for the in-person program.

Program Partners and Funders

University of Miami, National Science Foundation