H2O (Headwaters to Ocean)

Scope of Work:

The Prince William Sound Science Center (PWSSC) requests $55,000 from the Prince William Sound Oil Spill Recovery Institute to support the direct engagement track of our Headwaters to Oceans Education Program (H20)(previously known as Science of the Sound). This proposal addresses the School Year Programs portion of OSRI’s FY15 Work Plan. H2Oconsists of three tracks that target different sectors of society and our direct engagement track consists of programs (described below) for elementary and high school students in Cordova and other communities in coastal Alaska.

Discovery Room provides hands-on science education to students in Cordova’s elementary school with the goal of inspiring a life-long passion for science and increasing scientific literacy. PWSSC proposes to further refine, deliver and share lessons and materials related to OSRI’s mission of understanding the effects of oil spills and recovery of arctic and subarctic marine environments. OSRI funding will support program delivery, including 9th-grade students this year to allow for connectivity between the Discovery Room and High School Outreach activities we support. The hands-on, inquiry-based Discovery Room experiences will give students the knowledge and skills needed to understand how natural systems function and respond to climate change and other human impacts and threats such as oil spills.

Outreach Discovery program extends Discovery Room programming to audiences outside of Cordova and increases the number of individuals served by Science Center education programs. Many of the students served by the Outreach Discovery program qualify as “underserved populations” and often have limited access to science and environmental education resources and opportunities. This request seeks to use OSRI funds to support the continued delivery of marine-themed Outreach Discovery programs to youth from any of the following portions of the state: Northern, Western, or the Aleutian Islands; Prince William Sound; as well as enhancement of our remotely operated vehicles kits.

High School Outreach programs allow PWSSC to keep older students engaged in marine science-centric activities that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and ecological literacy skills. OSRI funding will support program delivery of lessons about ocean sciences to high school students in Discovery Room, Outreach Discovery, and National Ocean Sciences Bowl programs, as well as preparation of one or more NOSB teams.

Mini Discovery programs: PWSSC staff may engage youth who are not yet school age in hands-on activities that emphasize the diversity, role, and value of Arctic and sub-Arctic ecosystem components. These mini discovery programs, which may be offered in any season, will prepare youth and their parents for eventual participation in Discovery Room or Outreach Discovery activities.