MARION, SC (WBTW) – On Monday, workers with the South Carolina Aquarium hit the road to provide a hands-on educational program to four middle school classes at Johnakin Middle School, thanks to a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation.
Aquarium officials say the Rovers Program brings valuable science education opportunities to schools across the state where students may not be able to experience the aquarium. When a school encounters travel restrictions, Rovers can bring the aquarium to their school, creating an immersive science program in the classroom.
The middle school Rovers curriculum focuses on the state’s watersheds and the animals that live there. Students at Johnakin Middle School conducted their own water quality tests and analyzed evidence from real environmental case studies to uncover what might be polluting our watersheds. During the program, students also met several live animals including a juvenile American alligator, a diamondback terrapin and non-venomous snakes.
“Anything we can do hands on with them, it gets them really engaged in the learning and then of course when we bring out the live animals for them to meet that’s always a treat and it always kinda gives them a good hands on feel for the animals we are trying to protect in the Watershed environment,” said Beth Demas, Distance Education Programs Coordinator for The South Carolina Aquarium.
The $25,000 grant from Duke Energy will support programs for all seventh graders in Lee and Marion counties before the end of the school year.