FIELD SCIENCE CAREER EXPERIENCE (FSCE)
A FREE 90-hour field science certification program for high school students!
The Field Science Career Experience (FSCE) is a certification program designed exclusively for high school juniors and seniors interested in any science-related field that uses biology, chemistry, or physics. Using natural resources as a foundation, this program brings science to life by showing biology, chemistry, and physics in action in real-time, helping participants sharpen their observation skills, understand interrelationships, and spark curiosity.
Throughout the school year, FSCE participants attend monthly experiential courses led by Earth’s Classroom instructors and guest professionals from organizations like the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Department of Natural Resources. Each session highlights a different subject within the sciences, exposing students to the diversity of the field and helping them discover their personal passions.
​
As a capstone project, FSCE participants will present a one-hour solo lesson to an elementary class on a topic they feel most passionate about. This unique aspect allows high school students to apply what they’ve learned and inspire hundreds of younger students by sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm for science.
The program concludes with an unforgettable 3-day, 2-night ecology canoe and camping trip on Missouri’s most biodiverse river. This adventure offers participants an immersive experience in the field, combining education and outdoor exploration in a way that is both rewarding and memorable.
If you’re a high school junior or senior ready to dive into science, grow your skills, and inspire others, FSCE is the perfect opportunity!
A Glimpse Into the Course...
September—GEOLOGY: Welcome to the program and spend 5 hours wild caving in a geologic hidden gem, learning about the interrelationship between the chemistry and biology of this geologic ecosystem. October---LIMNOLOGY: Learn unique natural history and identification skills related to the life of freshwater ecosystems, and how this life is affected by our local chemistry. November—MAMMALOGY: Test observation skills through studying wild MO mammal skulls, bones, and furs. December —NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT/FIRE ECOLOGY: Visit a native prairie habitat and forest that are managed with control burns to understand the biodiversity they provide and participate in an ecological controlled burn. January— CULTURAL PRE- HISTORY: Spend time discussing over artifacts and known information about the Native Americans of our area and their interrelationship to the resources, including the differences between anthropology, paleontology and archaeology. February—SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY: Visit a home that is architecturally designed with passive and active solar and built in a self-sustainable way. March— ORNITHOLOGY: Learn unique natural history and identification skills (sight and sound) of our native birds with binoculars and spotting scopes. Test your observation skills. April--- HERPETOLOGY: Learn unique natural history of our native reptiles and amphibians and their relationships to the environment around them. May---ELEMENTARY PRESENTATION: Present to an elementary classroom and interpret a subject you have the most interest in. June---3-DAY, 2-NIGHT ECOLOGY CANOE TRIP: Discover how studies of all life are put together in a tight interrelationship as we travel and collect samples down the upper Meramec River (the most biologically diverse river in Missouri). Once all 31 hours of coursework, 55 hours of ecological learning/canoe trip, and hour presentation is completed (4 hours total), a 90-hour Certificate of Achievement will be awarded. This certificate will carry the EC logo and sponsors’ logos and is HIGHLY USED on scholarships and resumes!
Objectives of the Course
-
Inspire young adults to explore careers in biology, chemistry, or physics.
-
Foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Missouri's natural resources
-
Offer hands-on, experiential learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom setting.
-
Awarded a 90-hour field science certificate of achievement, a valuable addition to resumes and scholarship applications.
"I'm actually learning. You could tell me the same million facts they do, except in a classroom with desks and a professor and I wouldn't remember. Maybe long enough for the test, but not for life. These actual experiences and memories I will cherish forever. The best room with no walls--Earth's Classroom."
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR FSCE SPONSORS
This program is made possible thanks to the generosity of these businesses and organizations.
%20(1).png)
.png)
.png)
