March 09, 2018
The Experience UGA program is a partnership between the Clarke County School District and the University of Georgia, which aims to bring every Clarke County student (PreK-12) to UGAʼs campus every year. Through a variety of field trips, CCSD students participate in hands-on, curricular-based learning activities. Increased exposure to college life through Experience UGA fosters interest in the pursuit of higher education among Clarke County students.
ECOGIG outreach staff helped to support the Experience UGA 9th grade field trip. Students participated in a screening of the film “Chasing Coral,” to explore science in the area of climate change, in particular the impacts of ocean warming on shallow water corals. At the end of the film they were asked to choose at least one change they can pledge to make in their lives to protect the oceans (reduce their carbon footprint, reduce their plastic consumption, reduce their energy consumption; see photo above). They attended a science fair with different projects by various science-based campus partners, including ECOGIG's Ocean Discovery Zone, where they learned more about deep sea corals, the subject behind much of ECOGIG's research, and how ECOGIG scientists use ROVs to study them. Students also engaged in discussions about financing research opportunities through higher education.
See photos of the event here on Facebook
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