Sea STAR (Students, Teachers, and Researchers) Project

Made possible through a grant from the California Coastal Commission's Whale Tail Competitive Grants Program, the MARE Sea STAR Project partners Bay Area high school students from underperforming schools, high school science teachers, marine scientists, and Lawrence Hall of Science educators in collaborative study, fieldwork, reflection, and communication. By focusing on the predicament of marine invasive species threatening California coastal ecosystems, students and their teachers will learn about this very relevant issue first-hand from both MARE educators and research scientists studying this problem.

Through the combination of a content building workshop, a six-day residential field study, and a post field work summit, the MARE Sea STAR Project will:

• Heighten students, teachers and public awareness regarding a critical issue in marine conservation and ecology;
• Effectively illustrate the nature of science through the process of scientific inquiry;
• Present a realistic and rigorous college experience that will fortify student confidence in their ability to perform at a college level;
• Provide high school science teachers with a model for engaging their classes in subsequent inquiry-based science; and
• Broaden the impact of a marine scientists research beyond a traditional academic setting.