Under the Sea
Innovative Ocean Science Program Engages Teens
By Chelsea Rathburn

How would you spend a day on the ocean? Sailing? Surfing? Lounging by the shore, paperback in hand? While most of us look to the ocean for relaxation or recreation, youth at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley, Calif., see something very different in the open waters: opportunity. That's because an innovative ocean science program, SeaTech, has opened Club members' eyes to the wonders of what lies beneath the water's surface – and to career opportunities in science and technology they never dreamed were available.

Launched in 2005 as a single-year science program for 38 Club members, SeaTech has grown into a multi-year program designed to interest young people in science and information technology through hands-on education and exciting field trips. More than 90 youth currently participate in the program, which is the result of a partnership between the Club and the nearby Ocean Institute, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization specializing in marine and environmental science and maritime history. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography – one of the largest centers for marine science research, graduate training and public service in the world – is also involved in SeaTech, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and matched by United Way.

To maximize Club member interest in science and technology, SeaTech consists of multiple stages: Ultimate Oceans, an introductory curriculum for younger members; the core SeaTech program, which spans two years; and advanced internships in SeaTech Year 3.

Ultimate Oceans introduces fourth- to seventh-graders to ocean creatures and their habitats through interactive weekly meetings. Interested students go on to spend one or more years in the SeaTech core program.

During SeaTech Year 1, youth build their own Web pages and become proficient in many areas of Web design. They are also involved in projects like learning about bioacoustics and building hydrophones (devices for listening to aquatic sounds), robotic arms and underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). Teens can adapt these skills for use in many of their classes and in future careers.

SeaTech Year 2 provides more in-depth research experiences and workplace exposure as members learn to use Triton software to detect sea animal calls, participate in field trips to the Ocean Institute and build scientific equipment. In a one-week summer academy, Club members in both Years 1 and 2 learn aboard the R/V Sea Explorer, a 70-foot marine educational vessel that provides the opportunity to operate more sophisticated acoustic, navigation and bridge instruments, and make up-close observations of sea life.

Finally, SeaTech participants can put their new IT skills to work in Year 3 with paid or unpaid internships at the Ocean Institute or at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley, where they assist Ultimate Oceans participants.

They're Hooked!

Club staff have been pleasantly surprised to find that SeaTech has been especially effective in recruiting and retaining teen members. In fact, SeaTech has become part of the culture of the Club. As program director Nicole Belair points out, teens who were once difficult to recruit "joined the Club specifically for SeaTech and have gotten hooked on our other Club programs. That's really exciting to see."

Technology director John Ramirez, who has been with the program since its inception, is amazed by the dedication shown by participants: "They show up for every class, ready to learn. They are there because they want to be, and they're learning things I wasn't exposed to until college."

Indeed, Year 2 and 3 SeaTech members are trained in IT tools commonly used in the undergraduate classroom. "They're doing college-level work," says Danny Teyes, the Club's education director. "I look at this program and am blown away."