A collectively conscious vision.
To continue to grow as a leader in quality educational experiences, while supporting organizations at the forefront of wildlife and environmental conservation.
An ongoing process of transformation.
Inspire EdVentures started in 2017 by three passionate educators with the sole intention of taking students on immersive educational explorations to Belize. This is still a focal point and one of our premier offers; however, when our partners in Belize began to suffer due to the many consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, EdVentures embarked on a journey to facilitate custom-designed virtual learning experiences in order to aid them. Since then, we have hosted hundreds of enthusiastic learners on our virtual tours, while working with our partners to identify and meet the needs of the local community. It is our hope to host even more EdVenturers as we add new, thrilling virtual tours, and resume in-person tours to Belize in 2023. If you are ready to jump into a life-changing EdVenture, we will be there to help you!
Powered by collaboration, driven by values.
-
We believe in the transformative power of education.
We center the narrative, histories, and lived experiences of local people in our host towns and villages, and, in addition, our educators use peer-reviewed research to guide our participants.
-
We believe in nurturing relationships.
We are determined to build and sustain mutually beneficial relationships with individuals and communities in host towns and villages. Additionally, we believe it is imperative that we foster relationships with nature that do not cause further ecological disruption.
-
We believe that we have a responsibility to elicit change.
We focus on the education and advocacy of important ecosystems, while acting to support the needs of our partners. We hope to directly aid in creating a pathway for a regenerative future.
Experts at EdVenture.
Michael Windelspecht, PhD
Founder of Inspire EdVentures
Since he was a child Michael was fascinated by three things: science, travel, and telling stories. Equipped with a PhD in Biology and decades of building innovative solutions across the education spectrum, Michael has turned his attention to creating inspirational experiences. The result is what you see here.
When he is not being a geek, he spends his time slowly hiking the long trails of Europe in the constant hope that he doesn't get lost, or fall off a cliff, again.
He now realizes that the way not to find out you don't like caves is while standing alone, in the dark, in a Mayan sacrificial cavern.
If he spent as much time writing books as he does trying to beat his children at a single video game, he could have written that science-fiction saga ten times over by now.
Dave Cox
Founder of Inspire EdVentures
Dave has a Master's Degree in Biology from Western Illinois University, with a focus on Conservation Biology and Ecology. He has been teaching in higher education for over 20 years. IE began as an extension of Dave's study-abroad programs in Belize, which he has been organizing and leading since 2007.
After spending 2 years studying spider monkey behavior, he realized they were taking notes about him.
With over 15 years of tromping through the jungle, he came across snakes less than a dozen times and each time he screamed like a 2-year-old.
He has led hundreds of participants on Edventures and has brought back nearly all of them.
Eric Weber
Founder of Inspire EdVentures
Eric has nearly 20 years of experience in higher education publishing and education technology. Additionally, he is a published outdoor photographer with over 30 years of experience, which is precisely why our site has so many beautiful images.
He's a performing musician, and has been playing music since the 2nd grade.
Was lucky enough to see the contiguous 48 states before graduating high school. Now that the statute of limitations has expired, he can visit most of them again!
Will get up as early and travel as far as needed to get the perfect photo opportunity, but still can't figure out what all the fancy buttons on the camera actually do.
Kayla Windelspecht
Project Manager of Inspire EdVentures
After graduating from North Carolina State University with a BS in Biology, she began a professional career in ecology, conservation, and science communication. She has worked at Inspire EdVentures for over four years as an intern, science writer, content developer, and now as project manager!
- I first visited Belize in 2019, where I let my bosses lock me in a cage with a jaguar (Belize Zoo Jaguar Experience).
- My hobbies include hiking, road trips, and reading (and writing!) bad science fiction.
- I once lived in Palm Beach, Florida. Florida in the summer isn’t as bad as they say — it’s so, so much worse.
