![A student taking a picture during an Amazon EE course](../_files/images/earth-expeditions/amazon/cards-ee-courses-amazon-600x250.jpg)
Amazon: Avian & Tropical Ecology
Journey to the Amazon and learn how communities are working to save this astonishing and irreplaceable ecosystem.
Earth Expeditions are Miami University study abroad courses designed for people at all stages of their life and career who are looking for inspiring professional development opportunities while earning graduate credit. All courses engage with grassroots conservation and sustainability programs that are making a difference in Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas.
Journey to the Amazon and learn how communities are working to save this astonishing and irreplaceable ecosystem.
Dive into the conservation and education opportunities of the Great Barrier Reef, the global center of marine biodiversity.
Explore marine reserves, pine forests, mangroves, unique national parks, and community-driven conservation projects that focus on local communities at the forefront of conservation.
Earth Expeditions consist of two required components:
Earth Expeditions courses are open to any adult learners and teachers seeking professional development opportunities to benefit their career, as well as individuals simply seeking a unique life-changing experience. Earth Expeditions are also taken by graduate students working towards a M.A.T. in Biology or a M.A. in Biology through Dragonfly’s two graduate programs in biology: the Global Field Program and the Advanced Inquiry Program.
Through these unique field experiences and the related online coursework, participants form lasting relationships with leading educators, community leaders, and conservationists from around the world.
All students collaborate with caring Miami University instructors and classmates in Dragonfly Workshops, an easy-to-use web-based learning community created by Miami’s Project Dragonfly. Through this learning platform, students worldwide discuss assignments, develop projects, and exchange ideas throughout the summer and fall semesters.
During the international field experiences, students and instructors discuss course content and connect over shared once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as snorkeling with whale sharks in Baja, Mexico, witnessing cheetah conservation first-hand in Namibia, viewing wild macaws and sloths in the Peruvian Amazon, and more. We encourage you to check out the courses to learn more.
Earth Expeditions is jointly offered by Project Dragonfly at Miami University and conservation and education partners worldwide. 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, student achievement, and global understanding.
Earth Expeditions envisions each person as an ambassador who creates as well as transmits knowledge, who promotes authentic dialogue at all levels of society, and who inspires others to do the same. By adopting participatory models of education, schools become centers of investigation, students engage more deeply in their studies, and communities achieve higher levels of self-determination.
Here are some of our most Frequently Asked Questions. For more please go to our FAQs page.
Earth Expeditions courses are 7 graduate credit hour (5 credit Summer Term courses + 2 credit Fall Semester courses) online courses that combine direct global study experiences in Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas with engagement in Dragonfly Workshops’ web-based learning community. Courses typically run from April through mid-December, with the international field “in-country” portion of each class typically lasting 9-10 days.
Please see each individual course webpage for specific dates for the in-country field portion of the course — Amazon, Australia, Baja, Belize, Borneo, Brazil, Costa Rica, Galápagos, Guyana, India, Kenya, Mongolia, Namibia, Paraguay, and Thailand. All Earth Expeditions students will also be part of their course’s Web-Based Learning Community from April to early December.
The field portion of each Earth Expeditions course lasts 9 or 10 days. Students traveling long distances should plan to add an addition 1 or 2 days of travel to this timeframe.
It depends. Each state has different requirements for certification. Please check with your state’s Department of Education or your local university’s College of Education or similar department to find out the details for your area.
To support involvement by a broad range of individuals worldwide, Miami University currently offers a reduced tuition rate for all Dragonfly classes.
Dragonfly recommends that accepted applicants to the program check with their employer to see if professional development funds are available to further offset costs.