Youth Ocean Climate Science Education Program
March 26, 2024
STAY COOL for Grandkids is proud to offer San Diego area schools the STAY COOL Ocean Climate Science program to engage students and educate them about climate change and its impact on our ocean. Originally developed in 2017 in partnership with the Climate Science Alliance – South Coast, this multigenerational program unites volunteer elders/grandparents with young climate scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO). It is most appropriate for 5th and 6th graders. The goal of the STAY COOL Ocean Climate Science program is to encourage curiosity about our ocean and marine life while giving students the knowledge necessary to make educated decisions about how to protect against climate change in the future.
During the lessons, SIO graduate students explain how adding CO2 to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels is making oceans warmer and more acidic. The series of dynamic lessons are consistent with Next Generation Science Standards. The program consists of two lessons, with two parts each, and is brought to the classroom setting (typically over two days). The program involves a hands-on science experiment* that teaches and inspires students about our changing ocean and natural resource stewardship.
Under the leadership of STAY COOL Advisors Sue Randerson and David Engel, the Ocean Climate Science education program has reached more than 3,990 San Diego County students during the 2018-2023 school years. The Education Committee of STAY COOL, comprising members with diverse backgrounds that include a university librarian, a PTA board member, and a PhD marine biologist, informs the structure of the lessons and regularly updates the scientific content.