Encounters in Excellence mission is to impart to Miami-Dade students a greater understanding of biological and earth sciences and a greater environmental awareness through the medium of film and a personal encounter with positive community role models.

Florida's Fountains of Life program is an expanded vision that capitalizes on new technologies, including the launch of a web site called Odyssey Earth featuring twelve short video lessons about the Florida environment. Teachers will be able to project the segments on their high tech Smart Boards. Tens of thousands of students can benefit, and new content will be added year by year. A separate page entitled Odyssey Ocean features videos on Biscayne and Florida Bays. Students can follow the filmmakers' blog to further augment the assembly series.

The new vision also includes an expanded assembly series. This includes the reviving their 50-school elementary series and the expansion of their middle and senior high series to 60 schools to reach over 55,000 students in live performances! Rich Kern will visit the elementary and Richard Kern the secondary schools with their new film "Fountains of Life: Florida's Springs and the Story of Water."

Visit the Encounters In Excellence's website.