The Edison & Ford Winter Estates was awarded a grant from the Southwest Florida Community Foundation during its Major Annual Grant Cycle (2009-2010) to implement the Estates Wild Wizard Outreach Program in southwest Florida. On March 26, 2010, 1 PM, the Estates Wild Wizards Outreach Program will visit Tice Elementary School, one of over 70 schools and youth centers in Lee, Glades, Collier, Charlotte and Hendry Countries that have been funded for the outreach science program.
The Estates Wild Wizard Outreach Program is presented by Estates staff and is approximately an hour in length with follow up classroom and home study activities. In 2008 – 2009 the Estates visited 47 schools, performed 52 shows for 13,735 students throughout Lee County. The Grant from the Southwest Community Foundation has made it possible for outreach programs throughout southwest Florida.
“The project has clearly shown the importance of working with regional schools to provide curriculum-based, hands-on science programming that helps interpret the work of the two famous inventors and their winter homes, laboratory and research gardens,” says Chris Pendleton, Estates president & CEO. “Students are engaged in the contemporary theatre style presentations of science that characterized the project and tie them to examples of scientific method and specific inventions.”
The focus of this year’s program is “Henry Ford: Innovation, Invention and Green Science Wizard.” The objectives of the program include engaging students in learning and experiencing basic science concepts through hands-on demonstration science. The program enables students to learn about the basic elements of scientific inquiry, the scientific method, the nature of invention and how science has moved mankind forward. The program creates an environment where students will “have fun while learning” as well as challenging students to read and explore more through follow up activities in their classrooms and at home.
“The mathematics, science and reading skills ability of southwest Florida students are a primary focus of the schools and families in the community,” says Pendleton. “School budgets are particularly challenged at this time. There is a need to offer assistance to remedy this situation for our young students and create a learning opportunity which will encourage them to learn and grow.”
Although only a few years established as a non-profit institution, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates has initiated new programs and educational activity including the Estates Wild Wizards Outreach Programs, monthly Estates Homes School programs, Edison & Ford Inventor’s Summer Camp, scholarships, adult education, horticultural workshops, and a variety of events and programs. For more information on the Estates educational programs contact the Estates education coordinator at 239-334-7419.
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