Jupiter Environmental Research and Field Studies Academy at

Jupiter Community High School Jupiter Community High School, also known as Jupiter High School and JHS, is a public high school in Jupiter, Florida, United States. JHS is a part of the School District of Palm Beach County and is the northernmost high school in Palm Beach Coun ...

is a four-year

Magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...

program designed to meet the needs of students who wish to pursue an academic curriculum with emphasis on

environmental studies Environmental studies is a multidisciplinary academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. Environmental studies connects principles from the physical sciences, commerce/economics, the humanities, and social ...

History

Planning for the Jupiter High School Environmental Research and Field Studies Academy (JERFSA) began during the 1992-93 school year. The recommendation to approve the creation of the Academy was submitted in

Palm Beach County School Board The School District of Palm Beach County (SDPBC) is the tenth-largest public school district in the United States, and the fifth largest school district in Florida. The district encompasses all of Palm Beach County. For the beginning of the 201 ...

Report 6G November 4, 1992. JERFSA was started in August 1993 with 75 students, two teachers and funding from the School Board and generous other donations. The first class of 35 students graduated in 1997. Since then the number of students each year has slowly increased and several other staff positions have opened.

Current status

At this time, funds for JERFSA field work are largely provided by parents, student fund raising and assistance from the Partnership for Environmental Education, Inc. The Academy currently provides over 75 field activities per year that include cooperative field work with a variety of agencies such as: the Loxahatchee River Environmental Control District, ERM, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, MacArthur State Park,

Jonathan Dickinson State Park Jonathan Dickinson State Park is a Florida State Park and historic site located in Martin County, Florida, between Hobe Sound and Tequesta. The park includes the Elsa Kimbell Environmental Education and Research Center and a variety of natural ...

, Partnership For Environmental Education, Inc., Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation, Loxahatchee Preserve Nature Center,

U.S. Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands. Headquartered in Washington DC, and with oversight over , it governs one eighth of the country's la ...

and FPL. JERFSA has an Environmental Outreach Program in which students go to elementary schools and present environmental issues utilizing a variety of children's literature materials and field trip opportunities. “Enviroservice” is another Academy program that allows students to work with professionals from a variety of community agencies. Through “Enviroservice” students contribute over two hundred and thirty hours of environmental service every month.

Curriculum

Students in the program enroll in two science courses each year along with other Academy courses. High School courses are taught at the Honors level. College

dual enrollment In the United States, dual enrollment (DE), also called concurrent enrollment, programs allow students to be enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. Generally, it refers to high school students taking college or university cours ...

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

(AP), and

internships An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...

are available to Juniors and Seniors in the Academy along with other high school level courses. Students in the Environmental Academy are assigned summer homework and expected to participate in several weekend activities each year.

Field work

As the program name implies, field studies are a large part of the curriculum. The motto of the Academy: w''hen one studies

environmental science Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physics, biology, and geography (including ecology, chemistry, plant science, zoology, mineralogy, oceanography, limnology, soil science, geology and physical geograp ...

, one must be willing to go into the environment, ''defines the intent of program leaders. Students of the Academy visit and study every major

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

South Florida South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...

. Each grade level participates in about fifteen field study activities each year; some of these require overnight and weekend stays. All Academy students participate in regular field activities.

Goals

The Environmental Research and Field Studies Academy aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills that are essential to becoming responsible and productive world citizens. Although, students acquire a strong background in the environmental and earth sciences, graduates of JERFSA pursue a wide range of fields following graduation.

Notes

{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1993 High schools in Palm Beach County, Florida Magnet schools in Florida Public high schools in Florida 1993 establishments in Florida