Thanks to a unique partnership between the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Virginia Beach Public Schools, and a grant from NOAA and CSX, some local science teachers are getting a whole new look at the Chesapeake Bay.
They call the new program Systemic Environmental Literacy. It starts with sixth graders and the hope is that they will carry it through the rest of their years in school, with events such as a recent trip out on the water to observe nature.
"At the end of the year, that was the one thing my kids remembered the most about the year, all the things that we did on the boat. But they were still able to remember why it was important that we did those things," said Gabrielle Lawton of Princess Anne Middle School
It was all about educating the sixth grade science teachers. The trip covered species identification, water samples, anbd more. Each day brought another lesson as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation educated the teachers.
"It provides the teachers firsthand experience in some of the things that are in our watershed as well as in the Chesapeak Bay," said Melanie Loney of Va Beach Instructional Services.
