The Community Science Workshop (CSW) is an innovative science after-school and in-class enrichment program built on a national model funded by the National Science Foundation. The CSW has three locations in Miami: at Citrus Grove Elementary, Elizabeth Virrick Park and Holmes Elementary.

The mission of the CSW is to “Expand Knowledge, Thinking, and Imagination with Tools of Discovery and Things to Discover.”

The CSW operates in three main ways: by providing hands-on activities for classes and teachers based on Florida Sunshine State Standards as supplemental science curriculum; 2) through an after-school science program; and 3) by providing youth the opportunity to participate in experiential field trips and camping opportunities.

Goals

Inquiry based science activities: The CSW after-school program offers hands-on science activities for 15-25 youth each afternoon. Staff accompany the children on a journey of discovery, serving as interpreters and facilitators for activities, experiments, and projects. Staff typically engage the youth in 40 - 60 projects over the year. Projects include learning about home chemicals through science experiments, creating models of South Florida’s Biscayne aquifer and mangrove ecosystems, monitoring local biodiversity, learning to use power tools and scientific equipment, and participating in service learning opportunities in their neighborhoods. Click here to download a list of 2006 CSW activities in pdf format.

Field Trips: During field trips the students and their parents learn the biological sciences and exploring South Florida's natural areas. Fieldtrips into natural areas offer the students and their families a unique opportunity to discover some of the nations most endangered and treasured ecosystems, while gaining the self-confidence of being in an unfamiliar environment. During the field trips, students also learn methodologies scientists use to monitor the flora and fauna of South Florida.

Click here to view a slideshow of CSW activities

CSW Sites

In 2002, Citizens teamed with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to open the CSW after-school program at Citrus Grove Elementary School. Citrus Grove Elementary School is located near the Orange Bowl in a predominantly Hispanic area of West Little Havana. The free after-school program is held Monday through Friday during the school year and is now entering its fifth year (2006/07). The program is funded primarily by The Children’s Trust. The Children’s Trust was created by voter referendum in 2002 as a dedicated source of funding to meet the needs of children in Miami-Dade County.

In August 2004, Citizens expanded the CSW program to Virrick Park in the West Grove, a traditionally African-American and Caribbean community. The program is supported through a grants from the Dade Community Foundation, Miami-Dade County DERM and the South Florida Water Management District.

In August 2005, Citizens expanded the CSW to Holmes Elementary and in 2007 to Lenora B. Smith Elementary as part of the City of Miami Learning Zone, a dynamic program that includes arts and music, tutoring, recreational activities, legal services for parents, and now... environmental science!

CSW Network

CSW is a national movement, funded with start-up money from the National Science Foundation. You can find additional information on the internet at:

Funded By

The Children's Trust, The National Science Foundation/UMass Boston, Peacock Foundation, Miami-Dade County Department of Environmental Resources Management, the South Florida Water Management District, Coral Gables Congregational Church, SevenBar Foundation, Twenty Little Working Girls, and the Dade Community Foundation.