"Rising to the Moment"
Among those presenting were Mystic
Aquarium’s Senior Vice President of Mission Programs, Katie Cubina, and
Director of STEM Programs, Laura Batt.
Since 2011, Mystic Aquarium has engaged more than 10,000 youth and 2,500 mentors at more than 100 youth-serving organizations across the nation through its conservation-based STEM Mentoring program.
Additionally, the program
has been a proud recipient of six Multi-State Mentoring grants from the United
States Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention (OJJDP) over the past decade.
The goal of the STEM Mentoring program is to positively impact the social development and academic achievement of 6- to 10-year-old youth from high-needs communities by providing high-quality group mentoring experiences in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), particularly as it relates to the field of conservation.
STEM enrichment is a powerful tool. Feedback from past
program participants indicates that youth who engaged in these programs have improved
attitudes toward STEM fields and careers, have increased their knowledge and
skill sets in the field and often have a higher likelihood of pursuing STEM
careers – a field that is rapidly growing.
Additionally, certain populations are dramatically underrepresented in STEM education and professions. And families of underserved youth are less likely to have access to extracurricular STEM learning opportunities.
However, support provided by the many OJJDP-funded grants has
allowed the Aquarium to bring these incredible resources into high-needs
communities around the country — directly changing that status quo and “rising
to the moment.”
“Our staff and members’ abilities to adapt to the new format
of virtual Zoom STEM Mentoring sessions has been incredibly inspiring,”
shared the Boys & Girls Club of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County in
Annapolis, MD. “Though it is very different, the kids love that their supplies
have been delivered to them.”
In their presentation, Cubina and Batt shared how they have adapted the STEM Mentoring programming in a variety of ways to accommodate sites’ needs during the pandemic.
Much like changes in schools
across America, options for exclusively virtual programming and hybrid
interactions were offered, providing all sites the opportunity to select from a
suite of new resources to meet their unique needs.
“High-needs communities and communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. These same communities also bear the brunt of environmental degradation,” said Cubina.
“It is gratifying to hear
from program participants that STEM Mentoring provides much-needed
resources to engage youth safely, while building their capacity and agency to
be environmental stewards in their own communities.”
ABOUT MYSTIC AQUARIUM
Mystic Aquarium, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, is
counted among the nation’s leading aquariums, offering exemplary care to a
variety of species while also serving as the northeast’s premier marine mammal
rescue and rehabilitation center. Robust conservation and education programming
along with unparalleled visitor experiences serve to strengthen personal
connections to the animals and their environments. The mission of Mystic
Aquarium is to inspire people to care for and protect the ocean planet through
conservation, education and research, and introduces approximately 800,000
guests annually to thousands of animals through structured interpretations,
specially curated exhibits and hands-on interactions. As a leading research organization,
Mystic Aquarium employs a full staff of scientists engaged in projects focused
on the conservation and sustainability of our ocean planet.