PCP: Panama Canal Project

PIRE: Partnerships for International Research and Education

Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), PCPPIREteach consists of engaging high-school and middle-school STEM teachers from the Santa Cruz and Watsonville, California School Districts (and expanding to NM and FL) in international field and research experiences.

These educators are participating in fieldwork and inquiry-based curriculum development resulting from a two-week long field trip to Panama to work alongside the PCP (Panama Canal Project) PIRE team and related pre- and post-trip learning activities.

Gary Bloom is the Santa Cruz District Superintendent. This project has been developed as a result of Gary’s trip to Panama during 2011 when he worked with Carlos Jaramillo (PCP PIRE Co-PI) and his team at STRI (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) collecting fossils and related geological materials. It was an enriching experience and he therefore wanted to involve his teachers in similar international field experiences that can be translated back into the classroom.

This is how PCPPIREteach was born, and this website is dedicated to a collaborative effort between amazing institutions and individuals who want to improve the quality of science education.

See our field and outreach photos, #pcppireteach, or follow us on Facebook

PCP PIRE (Partnerships for International Research and Education) is supported by the U.S. NSF (National Science Foundation) grant 0966884 (OISE, EAR, DRL)