Almost 22,000 K-12 students increase environmental literacy through place-based education programs

Relevance

Place-based experiential education experiences engage and educate K-12 students and increase their environmental and STEM literacy through direct experiences in coastal environments and discussion of coastal issues. These out-of-school activities increase student understanding of the relevance of coastal and ocean systems to their lives.

Response

Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-supported environmental education centers in Mississippi and Alabama offered a variety of field-based and STEM onsite education programs for K-12 students, their teachers and chaperones. The programs were offered year-round and included educational standards-focused school-year classes, summer camps and drop-in programs. The programs focused on coastal natural history and ecology and ocean STEM activities and integrated Sea Grant focus areas and current issues, such as marine debris, climate change, coastal resilience, and fisheries.

Results

MASGC-supported environmental education programs resulted in 21,901 K-12 students actively engaged in field experiences aboard boats and in coastal habitats with wildlife. Students also studied tools and coastal problems, such as marine debris, coastal resilience and ROVs, with a hands-on approach. Pre- and post-testing of students participating in these programs demonstrated statistically significant increases in content knowledge.

Recap

Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant educators delivered field-based lessons and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities to approximately 22,000 K-12 students through programs hosted by Discovery Hall Programs, the Environmental Studies Center and the Marine Education Center. (2023)