Classroom Visit with Palm Springs North

Overview

On the afternoon of December 3rd, 2024, The International SeaKeepers Society visited and led a classroom visit with eighteen sixth-grade students of Palm Springs North Elementary School in Hialeah, Florida. Our Community Engagement Associate, Lillian, and our Educational Outreach Associate, Jack, led an interactive discussion and presentation centered on four key coastal environments: mangroves, kelp forests, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows. The students asked some great questions and we had no problem getting a great deal of engagement in answering some tough environmental science questions. We participated in and led a seminar where students were encouraged to share their knowledge, thoughts, and questions on each habitat one by one as well as think critically on what makes each habitat so impactful both for the species that call it home as well as us as denizens of coastal cities. Our students proved to be natural scientists, asking amazing questions and showing some real expertise on all four of our major environments, and even brought up their own experiences with them! These students were all members of the school’s inaugural Fishing Club, and their enthusiasm for the material shined through, yielding an excellent back and forth discussion. Following these activities, we concluded with a wrap-up discussion of major takeaways and an open talk on what we can all do in our day to day lives to better practice and differentiate key concepts of conservation, preservation, and restoration. We give a huge thanks to the students and teachers of Palm Springs North Elementary for having us as well as the engaging discussion, and we look forward to future work with them.