Ignite Ecological & Social Change

Welcome to Project Dragonfly

Housed at Miami University, Project Dragonfly is an education reform initiative with master’s degree programs in biology, graduate courses, learning media, public exhibits, and community partnerships across the U.S. and globally. Our graduate students are opening new frontiers in community innovation and education while earning their master’s degrees. They work alongside nomadic herders saving wild horses in Mongolia, citizen scientists increasing pollinator diversity in the Bronx, Maasai women pursuing equity and sustainability in Kenya, and conservationists leading the recovery of burrowing owls in California. We champion inquiry-driven learning and shared action to support a better, more collaborative, just, and sustainable future.

If you are considering a master’s degree in the fields of sustainability, education, ecology, or conservation, our predominantly online Master of Arts in Biology (MA Biology) or Master of Arts in Teaching in the Biological Sciences (MAT) degree options offer the flexibility for you to join this unique and inspiring community.

Our Master’s Programs: MA in Biology and MAT in Biological Sciences

Owl monkey (Aotus spp.), Brazil.

Advanced Inquiry Program

The Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) is a master’s degree program that fosters professional leadership, participatory education, sustainability, and conservation in the U.S. AIP students combine online courses from Miami University with extraordinary learning experiences and field study at premier zoos and botanical gardens in select communities across the nation.

Students in this program can work toward a Master of Arts (MA) in Biology or a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in the Biological Sciences.

Advanced Inquiry Program
Two Maasai women teach GFP student Dakota Bahlau how to sanitize a gourd over a campfire. Earth Expeditions: Kenya.

Global Field Program

The Global Field Program (GFP) is a master’s degree program that enables students to build on Earth Expeditions courses to grow as leaders in inquiry-driven education, community-engaged learning, ecological sustainability, environmental stewardship, and global understanding. The GFP combines online classes with courses that bring students, scientists, educators, community leaders, and others together at global conservation hotspots.

Students in this program can work toward a Master of Arts (MA) in Biology or a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in the Biological Sciences.

Global Field Program
Young male lion, Earth Expeditions: Kenya

Earth Expeditions

Earth Expeditions are stand-alone education and conservation-focused graduate courses in which students travel the globe to join world-class conservation and community projects in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Our mission is to build an alliance of individuals with first-hand knowledge of inquiry-driven, community-based learning for the benefit of ecological communities and global understanding.

Earth Expeditions

More About Miami

Founded in 1809, Miami is one of the eight original “Public Ivy” schools and is known for excellence in education, having been recognized in the U.S. News & World Report as first among public universities with “an exceptionally strong commitment to teaching.” Citing Miami as among the best in the nation for commitment to liberal arts education, The Fiske Guide to Colleges notes Miami’s strengths in research, study abroad, and leadership.

Project Dragonfly at Miami University provides opportunities for graduate students in the fields of biology, conservation, education, and sustainability. Through the AIP and the GFP, Project Dragonfly and Miami University have enriched the lives of many working professionals by offering these unique master’s degree programs.

Sunset by the sundial at Miami University

Our Story – From Kid’s Magazine to Master’s Degrees in Biology

Project Dragonfly began in 1994 with the creation of Dragonfly magazine, the first national magazine to feature children’s science investigations and discoveries. Funded by the National Science Foundation and published by the National Science Teachers Association, Dragonfly magazine challenged widely held assumptions about the role of children in science by publishing their research alongside the research of professional scientists. The magazine evolved into the Emmy-winning PBS children’s television series DragonflyTV. Produced by TPT public television, DragonflyTV led to the spinoff PBS television series, SciGirls. Expanding partnerships with community institutions beginning with the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden became the foundation for Project Dragonfly’s national public exhibit projects Wild Research and iSaveSpecies.

The partnership network now includes leading education and conservation organizations worldwide supporting a shared vision for community-engaged graduate education through Earth Expeditions, the Advanced Inquiry Program, and the Global Field Program. While working towards their masters’ degrees, Earth Expeditions, AIP, and GFP students join a global network of premier organizations to co-create new solutions to the vital social and ecological issues of our time.

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Contact Us

Please reach out to the team at Project Dragonfly at:
513-529-8576
dragonfly@miamioh.edu

Dragonfly Websites

Flyers and Cards

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National Science Foundation logo This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1010938 and Grant No. 0610409. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Miami University, Oxford Ohio, EST. 1809

© 1994-2020 Project Dragonfly. All rights reserved.
Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056

Learn more about our programs
at a free, live webinar at 8 pm ET October 22!