Community- Driven
Science
I am invested in harnessing my experiences as an educator and ecologist to make science a community practice.
Teaching & Learning Are Interconnected
My philosophy and approach to education are rooted in my experiences as a classroom teacher. For eight
years I had the privilege of teaching in K-12 school communities developing the skills and experience to create
intricate, hands-on, inquiry and phenomena-based science education programming. I cultivated new initiatives in
schools, adapted them consistently over time, and nurtured excitement and passion in children.
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High-quality teaching requires teaching to and caring for the “whole student”. Teaching in a manner that makes space for and weaves in student’s identity, values, cultural knowledge, and social-emotional well-being into the learning environment is vital. Educating students holistically requires highly adaptable instructional strategies
and a commitment to shaping learning experiences to be student-led. -
Teaching is a collaborative process rather than knowledge flowing in one direction. My instructional strategies, classroom culture, and curriculum design are all driven by crafting shared learning experiences that are bidirectional. Each of my students in the past, present, and future has valuable insights, intuitive knowledge, experiences, and inquiry that make them valuable members of the learning environment.
Current Initiatives
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Community-Driven Mangrove Research
Samantha Rosa is currently developing a program connecting students in Florida and Texas to mangrove research within the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.
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Community-Driven Seed Stewardship
Samantha Rosa is currently piloting a program that connects students from Englewood Chicago to the native ecosystems and research labs of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Plant Conservation Science Center.