Oceans of Opportunity

White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian

Focused on the sustained involvement of African American students in the marine geosciences, Oceans of Opportunity established a robust pipeline from kindergarten through to high school and graduate study in the Savannah, GA area. The program consisted of two pipelines that extended geoscience research and academic endeavors from Savannah State University, Adelphi University and Ocean Leadership into the public school systems.

Within the academic pipeline, Oceans of Opportunity developed and implemented innovative, interactive geoscience modules and lesson plans that were based on actual sediment samples pulled from the deep ocean through scientific ocean drilling. Some of these modules were developed for elementary and middle school, while others were geared for high school students. Courses, such as marine geoscience and oceanic change,  were developed and inserted into the marine science curriculum in the Savannah State University Marine Sciences Program.

Within the research pipeline, Oceans of Opportunity provided small amounts of support for student research (graduate and undergraduate) on the Georgia Shelf and benthic foraminiferal records, using core samples and data obtained from the Ocean Drilling Program.

Oceans of Opportunity also had an outreach component that introduced students in the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools to marine geosciences by testing the modules that had been developed and engaged students in hands-on educational activities. A critical component of the outreach endeavor was Georgia State University’s Bio-Bus, a mobile instructional laboratory that traveled to public and private schools in the Greater Atlanta Area. Partner schools in the Savannah area included Johnson High School, Thunderbolt Elementary Marine Science Academy, and the Oatland Island Education Center. The Adelphi University Environmental Studies Program was also a partner, working in the New York area.