By: Tiffany Whitfield, Julie Morgan and Eileen Hofmann

Local Cub Scouts from Pack 490 were the first to rekindle a tradition that has been 25 years in the making by the 海岸物理海洋学中心 (CCPO) at 最靠谱的网赌软件 (ODU). More than 800 Boy Scouts from all over Virginia, 马里兰, 和俄亥俄州, as well as the Hampton Roads region have earned their 海洋ography merit badge through a marine science program led by CCPO. However, the COVID-19 global pandemic abruptly interrupted this decades-old partnership in 2020. 在2023年秋天, CCPO restarted its marine science education program by hosting 34 Cub Scouts, 连同族群领袖, 父母, 和兄弟姐妹, for an event that engaged the eager Scouts in learning about marine science.

The team who worked diligently to bring back the educational science outreach program to ODU were Julie Morgan, CCPO项目经理和苏珊·克雷格, 海洋 & 地球科学部经理.

On the evening of September 27, 2023, Pack 490 left their den at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church and assembled on ODU’s campus to satisfy the requirements for their NOVA Award. The science-based NOVA Award program encourages Cub Scouts to explore science, 技术, 工程, and mathematics (STEM) through research and hands-on activities to get young Scouts interested and involved in science. The Pack included students in second through fifth grades.

The marine science educational and outreach program led by CCPO 教授 Eileen Hofmann and John Klinck, CCPO项目经理Julie Morgan, OES部门经理, Dana先令, OES/CCPO研究生, 娜塔莉·斯普拉格, created learning opportunities to engage the Cub Scouts in activities focused on the aquatic ecosystem and polar ice, two of the animal habitats included in the “Down and Dirty” module of the NOVA Award.

The Cub Scouts started their STEM-based educational journey with a short presentation on Antarctic animals that highlighted research being done by CCPO scientists in Antarctica. The presentation included videos of icebergs calving from an ice shelf, 阿德利企鹅, 还有食蟹海豹, as well as photographs of Antarctic krill and minke whales.

The next set of activities involved dividing the Cub Scouts into groups to visit hands-on educational stations where they learned about the local Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and watershed. 教授, Hofmann and Klinck setup a touch tank for the Pack that included oysters, 玉黍螺蜗牛, 泥蟹, 蛤, 以及其他无脊椎动物. The Cub Scouts learned how important snails and oysters are to the Chesapeake Bay. Sprague and Morgan used a watershed table to demonstrate the effects of pollution on local waterways. Schilling asked Scouts questions about what they learned for a chance to spin a prize wheel and win OES-themed merchandise.  

The effect of the program is illustrated by the comment from Pack Leader Kendra DiMichele, “Our Scouts love learning new things and get excited to see and experience hands-on science. When they experience this at a young age, 它一直伴随着他们, and we hope encourages them to learn and explore throughout their lives. Having educators at ODU that support youth programs is an amazing opportunity for our Scouts!”

Rodger Harvey, chair of OES at ODU expressed the importance of this marine science program. “It’s critical for our youth to understand the wonders of the ocean and have a chance to speak with working scientists who are also members of the community. 我们的教师, 工作人员, and students in CCPO have hosted many of these events over the years as part of science outreach; it’s as a wonderful way to connect us to the public and I’m proud that OES is doing its part in this effort.”

If you or someone from your organization or school would like to take part in the ODU’s OES and CCPO marine educational outreach program email, julie@ccpo.htvdirect.net or scraig@htvdirect.net.

The CCPO marine science outreach program started in 1999 with a request to talk to a pre-school class about oceanography. This initial request setup what became a long-term informal science education program focused on engaging K-8 students in marine science. Over the years the science education program evolved and expanded to accommodate the various, 和许多, 来自各个类的请求, 整个学校, 特别活动, 比如夏令营. The science education program includes several hands-on learning stations and usually a presentation about oceanography.