Grant: 26-052E
Project Title: Sea Turtle E.R.: A STEM Program for High School Students
Project Manager: Celeste McWilliams
Organization: Coastal Connections, Inc. (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $25,725.00
Completion Date:
Summary: In 2025, Coastal Connections, Inc. (CCinc) invested in a major expansion of the Education Department to develop the "Sea Turtle E.R." program that includes in-class instruction with experiential hands-on activities that complement the real-life rescue activities of CCinc personnel. The objectives of this program are to have students recognize the multiple negative human-caused impacts that cause sea turtles to "strand"; describe actions that can be done by everyone to decrease these human-caused impacts; identify physical and non-physical traits of a sick, injured or dead sea turtle; describe field activities that sea turtle research teams partake in related to sea turtle emergency responses; and engage in conversation about real-life jobs in the STEM field. During the program, students will use critical thinking, math, and communication skills to conduct a mock rescue response on a model turtle using a specialized stranding scenario and a pre-made rescue kit. Student learning gains will be assessed via pre- and post-tests. This project will be used to complete CCinc's major program expansion by providing program supplies to create 12 additional mock rescue kits, and program needs.
Results: