Out of more than a hundred applications from talented educators, Dr. Michelle Arnhold Davies of Minnesota North College-Itasca has been selected by the nonprofit organization Ecology Project International (EPI) to participate in an 8-day Teacher Fellowship in Costa Rica this year. EPI is a field science and conservation organization that partners scientists, students, and educators in ecological hotspots, including in Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, Belize, Mexico, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Dr. Michelle Arnhold Davies, originally from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, has been a faculty member at the Itasca campus since 2017. She is a well-known face around campus, teaching many different biology courses like human anatomy and physiology, general biology, microbiology, and environmental science.
“This fellowship will serve as a jumping off point for my sabbatical next year which will investigate the feasibility of incorporating national or international educational travel into courses at Minnesota North.” says Arnhold Davies.
Since 2000, EPI has reached more than 14,000 students and teachers with its Costa Rica ecology and youth leadership programs. During the upcoming EPI Teacher Fellowship, Arnhold Davies and a small group of carefully selected teachers will experience the field course for themselves, gaining skills and resources they can bring back to the classroom. “This experience was something that I needed. I have been teaching a long time and feel refreshed and excited about teaching again,” recalls Zoe Mendal, a 2024 EPI Teacher Fellow. “The abundance of interconnected ecosystems was mind blowing and the level of educators I was working with was top notch!”
On this year’s 13th annual EPI Teacher Fellowship, the group will be immersed in the rainforests and beaches of Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope. Days will be spent collecting data and planning hands-on lessons near Pacuare Reserve, a field research station managed by EPI. The Fellows will work alongside researchers and instructors on a variety of ongoing ecological studies, such as monitoring leatherback sea turtles or observing the behavior and social structures of primates. Throughout the program, the group will learn strategies they can bring back to their classrooms to help students observe, question, collect data, and critically analyze the world around them.
This EPI Teacher Fellowship takes place March 29 – April 5, 2025. For more information on EPI’s programs or how teachers can apply for next year’s EPI Teacher Fellowships, visit their website.
About EPI
Established as a nonprofit organization in 2000, EPI’s mission is to inspire youth with nature and empower them with science, fostering tomorrow’s leaders. EPI envisions a diverse movement building communities that cherish and restore the ecosystems that sustain them.
For more information about EPI, please contact Lisa Macki, EPI Director of Admissions.