Collaborative Research: Project WetKids - Immersion Along the Gulf Coast

密西西比南部的帕斯卡古拉学区正在与国家奥杜邦协会（奥杜邦密西西比）、雪佛龙-德士古公司、密西西比博物学家、美国航天局和南密西西比大学合作，扩大其现有的科学课程，让三所中学6-8年级的135名学生和9名教师在课外时间对当地沿海湿地进行科学调查。 该地区大约50%的学生是有色人种和/或经济上处于不利地位的学生。 项目目标是：（1）提高学生对STEM领域的理解、欣赏、吸引力和兴趣，为他们在高中课程和中学后学习科学、数学和工程学做好准备;（2）通过与STEM领域研究人员的合作实验和丰富的工业和学术经验，提高教师的内容知识和教学技能;建立一个可持续和可复制的模式，以发展和实施一个整合的校内外课程计划。“该项目正在研究该方案对学生和教师的学习和态度、家长参与和伙伴关系发展的影响。

The Pascagoula School District in southern Mississippi is partnering with the National Audubon Society (Audubon Mississippi), Chevron-Texaco, Mississippi Naturalists, NASA and the University of Southern Mississippi to extend its existing science curriculum by involving 135 students and 9 teachers from three middle schools in grades 6-8 in out-of-school time scientific investigations of local coastal wetlands. Approximately 50 percent of the students in the district are students of color and/or economically disadvantaged. Project goals are to (1) increase students' understanding, appreciation, attraction and interest in STEM fields and prepare them for high school course work and post-secondary study in science, math and engineering; (2) improve teachers' "content knowledge and pedagogical skills through collaborative experimentation and rich industrial and academic experiences with researchers in STEM fields;" and (3) "establish a sustainable and replicable model for development and implementation of an integrated in- and out-of-school curricular program." The project is conducting research on the impact of the program on student and teacher learning and attitudes, parental involvement and partnership development.