Learning Philosophy

Project Dragonfly is devoted to creating communities of inquiry among educators, conservation professionals, community leaders and other visionaries dedicated to social and ecological change.

A Voice for Educators and Conservation-Minded Professionals

Project Dragonfly approaches professional development as a long-term process of transformation that takes place in small learning communities through inquiry, communication, and reflection.

Designed for working professionals, Earth Expeditions (EE) graduate courses and the Global Field Program (GFP) master's degree based on EE offer students face-to-face engagement with researchers, community leaders and conservationists at critical field sites worldwide while also providing opportunities for students to complete projects that make a difference in their own communities.

Project Dragonfly also offers the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) master's degree at select institutions in eight U.S. cities. Applicants in the Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, Denver, New York, Phoenix, San Diego and Seattle regions may be interested in the community-based AIP master's, co-delivered with premier learning institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Courses take place in web-based learning communities and on-site at zoos in those locations. Click here to learn more about the AIP.

A Voice for Children

Project Dragonfly celebrates the voice of children. We work to provide spaces for children to share investigations and discoveries through different national media--print, web, and television. We believe that great things happen when children are allowed more self-determination, more authentic roles in their classrooms, in their communities, and in the environment.

An Integrated Approach

Our focus on questions leads to a philosophy of integration, because questions naturally transcend the boundaries of disciplines. By presenting science, art, math and language as different forms of expression, Dragonfly supports different learning styles allowing for a more complete understanding of the world and of ourselves.