Abstract
Program evaluation is an essential component of environmental education organizations. It is important for an organization to know if they are meeting their intended goals and if any adjustments need to be made to the delivery of the programs for program improvement. This program evaluation project was conducted for the Biscayne Nature Center (BNC), located on Key Biscayne , to satisfy the internship requirement of the Master of Arts degree in Marine Affairs and Policy at the University of Miami. A program evaluation was designed and implemented for two field science programs at the BNC, which utilized outcome based measures, incorporated stakeholders in the design of the evaluation instruments and satisfied the need for a self-contained team of evaluators. The results of the program evaluation suggested the BNC met its goals in allowing students to explore South Florida ecosystems, have fun, and learn about coastal ecology. The BNC did not meet its goals in the areas of having students use tools and techniques of scientific inquiry and being inspired to engage in environmental protection. The BNC met its goal for supporting the Sunshine State Standards (SSS) in Science for lower grades but not for higher grade levels. There was insufficient data to conclude whether the BNC has promoted environmental education in public and private schools. As a result of this work, the Field Science Program Evaluation Manual and accompanying data base were developed for use in future program evaluations at the BNC.