Students take part in marine program

Twelve Brunswick County Early College High School (BCECHS) students recently participated in a full day of marine biotechnology activities at UNCW’s Center for Marine Science.

Students began with a trip on the research vessel “Cape Fear,” where they took water and sediment samples and trawled to sample sea life.

Students were taught to assess plankton tows for types of microscopic life and learned to identify types of phytoplankton.

After the excursion, they took a trip Wrightsville Beach to examine fouling communities and estuarine life. Students looked at sponges, seaweeds, clams, oysters and seined for larval fish. The day ended with a tour of UNCW’s science building (Dobo Hall) and dinner in the campus dining hall.

The experience was funded by the BioNetwork grant, “Brunswick County Catalyst for Science Education.”

Rebecca Stanley and Lorry Fitzpatrick, science teachers from BCECHS, served as sponsoring teachers. Vicky Snyder, BCECHS principal; Seconda Seifred, BCECHS counselor; and Kimberly Jones, a BCC chemistry professor, also participated in the day’s activities.

BCC recently hosted two Brunswick County teacher’s workshops on the main campus in Supply. Both workshops were also sponsored by the same BioNetwork grant.

Steve Spangler Science’s Julie Gintzler hosted a day of science fun for Brunswick County teachers, presenting “Storytime Slime” to 24 kindergarten to second-grade teachers to incorporate science across the curriculum. The workshop was the first event at the new events center addition to Odell Williamson Auditorium. Teachers learned some new tricks, made slime, rainbow crystals and exploded soda with Mentos candy.

North Carolina State University’s Science House also presented a workshop on technology in the laboratory to Brunswick County middle and high school teachers.

Rebecca Stanley and Lorry Fitzpatrick, two science teachers with Brunswick County Early College High School, participated in five previous workshops hosted by Scott Ragan of NCSU’s Science House. They used their experience and then led this workshop.

The initiative was a “train-the-trainer” experience, provided through BioNetwork, to create a strong foundation for science education in Brunswick County.

BCC secured the grant money from BioNetwork in 2007.