Project Dragonfly (Miami University)

Project Dragonfly at Miami University is a education and conservation program offering graduate courses worldwide. The program operates under reduced market-driven tuition which has resulted in large enrollment, with 800-900 students worldwide. The program offers two degree offerings, a Master of Arts in Biology and a Master of Arts in Teaching, and two program tracks, the Advanced Inquiry Program and Global Field Program.
Project Dragonfly manages Earth Expeditions, a suite of graduate-level field courses, typically 10 days in duration, with online learning on either end of the experience. Project Dragonfly also maintains connections with nine major zoological/botanical garden institutions across the USA, to offer the Advanced Inquiry Program. The program also has partnered with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) to offer professional development for zoo staff .
Earth Expeditions and Global Field Program
Earth Expeditions began in 2003 as a global education and conservation initiative from Miami University. Earth Expeditions graduate courses can be used toward a Master of Arts in Teaching in the Biological Sciences or a Master of Arts in Biology through the Global Field Program at Miami University. As of 2022, the program operated , including in the Peruvian Amazon, the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil, Namibia, and more. Earth Expeditions courses include connections to international grassroots conservation organizations such as the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center in Belize, the Cheetah Conservation Fund, the Vermillion Sea Institute (Baja, Mexico).
Three Earth Expeditions in addition to online coursework can be applied to a master's degree, Master of Arts in Biology (MA) or Master of Arts in Teaching in the Biological Sciences (MAT), through the Global Field Program.
Advanced Inquiry Program
The Advanced Inquiry Program is a master's program that involves online coursework through Miami University with experiential learning at associated zoos and botanical gardens:
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* Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
* Denver Zoo
* Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
* Missouri Botanical Garden
* San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
* Wildlife Conservation Society/Bronx Zoo
* Woodland Park Zoo
Student and Faculty Research
Students and faculty have published on topics including use of social media to promote conservation issues , environmental stewardship in youth , sense of place, human-elephant conflict in Thailand, and butterfly population trends.
History and Dragonfly Magazine
Project Dragonfly has historically promoted science learning media, exhibits, and graduate programs. The project began in 1994 at Miami University with the creation of Dragonfly magazine, the first national magazine to feature the investigations and discoveries of children. Dragonfly magazine was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and published by the National Science Teachers Association.
Project Dragonfly pioneered the "Real Kids, Real Science" approach to learning and continues to work for inquiry-driven reform to increase public involvement in science and global understanding. In addition to Earth Expeditions, Project Dragonfly worked with Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) to launch the Emmy-Award winning PBS children's television series DragonflyTV, which led to the 2010 launch of the spinoff series SciGirls, both produced by TPT. Project Dragonfly also oversees two national exhibit projects: Wild Research and iSaveSpecies, which created public research stations at zoos and aquariums nationwide to engage families in science inquiry and conservation action.

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