Innovative Coastal & Marine Science Education
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Educating the Next Generation
SABP's Mid-Coast Estuary Education Initiative
SABP & The Texas Floating Classroom’s education program provides knowledge about the importance of marine, coastal, and estuary ecology. This knowledge can, in turn, help students academically and in future careers.
By introducing youth to these issues, we can help the next generation to care about and take action to keep our coast and bays healthy and sustainable for the future.
Science Based Education
Meeting Educational Standards: TEKS.
“It’s science. It’s a hands-on experience that gets them out of the school environment and gives them a better understanding of animal life and marine life. They get a better understanding of life and the cycle of life. They get to touch fish — that’s awesome. A lot of these kids don’t get that opportunity.” -Richard Vannest, Sixth Grade Teacher, Lyford Middle School
Exciting Field Trips
Life-long Learning:
According to San Perlita Superintendent Albert Pena, “These trips on the research vessel have been an essential part of our outdoor education program.
Seeing animals in their natural habitat is different from seeing them in an aquarium.... They learn about plankton, which you have to see under a microscope.
Outdoor Classroom Coastal & Marine Education
Educating the next generation to understand and care about our bays and estuaries is critical to future coastal resilience. SABP has supported hands-on estuary education for youth (60% of whom are from local Title 1 public schools) and adults in the region via our partnership with the Texas Floating Classroom (TFC), a local nonprofit.
Over 10,000 K-12 students have been through the program. The TFC R/V Archimedes visits Rockport, Seadrift, Port Lavaca, and Palacios each year to take students on bay trips. Of note, many of the students have never been on a boat—despite living on the coast. Additionally, SABP promotes taking TFC’s Traveling Bay touch tank to schools up the Guadalupe and San Antonio River watersheds. Teachers state that these hands-on lessons are very practical educational programs.
Learning By Doing
SABP and TFC have served over 10,000 K-12 students by providing Floating Classroom field trips from Rockport, Seadrift, Port Lavaca, and Palacios. A traveling touch tank reaches students at an additional 16-20 regional schools who cannot participate in the on-the-water program.