Year: 2024
Relevance
Place-based field education experiences have been proven to engage, educate and increase K-12 students' environmental and STEM (science technology, engineering and mathematics) literacy through direct experiences in coastal environments and discussion of coastal issues. These out-of-the- classroom activities increase student understanding of the relevance of coastal and ocean systems to their lives.
Response
Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium education staff delivered field-based experiential education to K-12 students from across Alabama and Mississippi who visited their education centers. These education activities included vessel trips, coastal habitat field explorations and hands-on activities on a variety of coastal and marine STEM topics.
Results
More than 19,800 K-12 students from Alabama and Mississippi increased their environmental literacy through place-based field education experiences aboard boats or in coastal habitats with wildlife. Students also studied coastal problems, such as marine debris and sea level rise, and used tools like remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) or current drifters. Pre- and post-testing for a subset of students demonstrated significant gains in content knowledge as a result of these experiences.
Recap
In FY24, 19,812 K-12 students participated in place-based field programs focused on coastal ecology and ocean technologies offered by Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium-supported education centers (Dauphin Island Sea Lab's Discovery Hall Programs, The University of Southern Mississippi's Marine Education Center and Mobile County Public School System's Environmental Studies Center).