home

Welcome! Please use this wiki to learn about the Student Summit program, explore ocean and climate resources and to share your thoughts on any of the discussion topics. Click on the links in the left navigation bar to get started!
 * The 3rd National Student Summit on the Ocean and Coasts**
 * February 14-17, 2011 in Washington, DC**

Whether you are a student, a teacher, an aquarium educator or a federal partner, we encourage you to participate in the discussion themes each week to provoke new ideas and perspectives on different ocean and climate topics. We hope that this wiki will be an engaging and enlightening experience for everyone!

**About the Student Summit on the Oceans and Coasts **
Coastal America is holding the **3rd** **Student Summit on the Oceans and Coasts** in Washington, DC on February 14-17. The Summit is designed to teach high school students about the interconnectedness between the ocean, Great Lakes, inland seas and climate with particular focus on climate change and help prepare them for future careers in ocean and climate science and policy. Twenty of Coastal America's twenty-three Learning Centers will be participating in the Summit. Each of these Learning Centers will be sponsoring a student delegation comprised of four high school students, a formal educator and an informal educator from the Learning Center.

The theme of this national Summit is the third principle of Ocean Literacy - The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate - and its inverse. Each delegation will work as a team to work to understand the relationship between the ocean, Great Lakes, inland seas and the climate through research, field trips and meetings with local experts. Each delegations will then identify a local issue associated with this theme. Once the issue has been selected, the delegation will create and implement an action plan that helps their local community address that issue. Each delegation will create a 3 minute video and a poster about their plans. Each delegation will also maintain a wiki and blog to document their experiences. Delegation websites can be accessed through the "Learning Center Pages" tab in the left navigation bar.

Students and educators will travel to Washington, DC to participate in the Student Summit. At the Summit, each student delegation will present their video presentation and posters to leaders in the policy, science, and research community. Posters will also be presented to members of the public at the Ocean Hall of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. These interactive presentations will offer each delegation an opportunity to interact with their audience, field questions regarding their project, and learn about ways to improve their project. During the Summit the students will work together during a facilitated session to develop a joint statement proclaiming their commitment to work for ocean and Great Lake habitats. This proclamation will be presented to Administration and Congressional officials during an event held on Capitol Hill on the final day of the Summit. Students will complete the Summit in meetings with their respective Congressional delegations where they will discuss their plans and dedication to address local community issues.

The purpose of the Summit is to prepare student participants for a role in the future of climate and ocean science and policy. During this unique Summit experience, students will research an issue affecting their community, develop an Action Plan to address that issue, and present their plans to and seek support from Administration officials and their Congressional representatives in Washington, DC. The Student Summit in Washington, DC will offer the students incredible presentation experience before both climate and ocean experts and members of the public, expert feedback and guidance for their projects from Administration officials and nationally known scientists, countless interactions with acclaimed speakers and members of the ocean and climate community, and an opportunity to build a network with future ocean and climate leaders. These experiences will equip student delegations with the tools necessary to not only return to their communities equipped to implement the plans that they develop, but also to pursue careers goals in scientific and technology.