Baker High School Students To Attend 4^th National Student Summit on Oceans and Coasts in Washington, DC

From March 9 to 13, Baker High School students will be attending the 4^th National Student Summit on Oceans and Coasts in Washington, DC, to share their action plan to STOP stormwater pollution with fellow students, federal agencies and congressional legislators. The purpose of the summit is to educate, inspire and engage the next generation of leaders in marine science, resource protection and ocean governance and to engage students in collaborative action to address local coastal issues. 

On March 10, their presentation and video will be livestreamed from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (http://www.ocean.si.edu/CoastalAmericaStudentSummit).

The students have been working with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL), which was designated a Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center (CELC) in 2001.  The CELCs are a network of aquaria, museums and research centers across the US, Canada and Mexico who work to educate and involve the public in protecting the nations’ coastal and ocean ecosystems. 

Since school started in August, DISL has been working with this team of students from Baker High School in West Mobile. The group was interested in addressing pollution problems in our area.  Under the guidance of their teachers, Ms. Doris Gladen, Ms. Heather Normand and Mr. David Nix, and a Sea Lab educator, Dr. Tina Miller-Way, they set out to learn more about the challenges and perhaps more importantly, investigate solutions. They interviewed numerous individuals across a wide spectrum of jobs and perspectives and have created a video that they will use in their efforts to make others aware of Mobile’s stormwater-associated pollution problems, as well as potential solutions to these problems. Their video is titled “Make a resolution to STOP stormwater pollution.”

These students will also work with other teams to develop a proclamation for the US Commission on Ocean Policy summarizing the concerns of their generation and issuing a call for action.

Photo: (l-r) Baker High School Student Summit Team members Jessica Pierce, Carson Smith and Jordan Terry.