Do You Want To Be A Superhero?
By Kim Gregory
Did you know Monroe County students can now attend MarineLab programs at little to no cost thanks to the Saltwater Superheroes Fund?
The Saltwater Superheroes Fund was created in 2022 by Leadership Monroe County Class XXIX “Delta Force” as their class project to provide marine environmental education to all Florida Keys Students. Delta Force chose this project because “Our island chain is surrounded by and dependent on fragile marine ecosystems—mangroves, seagrass, sponges, coral reefs, and deep ocean habits. Our goal is to expose Keys students to their local environment, therefore creating stewards of change in protecting our fragile Keys ecosystem.”
The students that visit learn about the critical ecosystems surrounding the Florida Keys in a variety of labs and classes
You would be surprised to learn how many students that live in Monroe County have never been on the water or snorkeled on our famous reef track (the third longest in the world!). MarineLab is working on changing that, thanks to generous support from our Keys community, and the program results are beginning to speak for themselves! From its inception last year through the end of this school year, we will have had 644 Monroe County students and teachers/chaperones from Lower, Middle, and Upper Keys schools attend MarineLab.
For many Keys students, this is not only their first time snorkeling, but their first time seeing the reefs in their own backyard
Students and teachers from up and down the Keys have shared their reactions to their MarineLab experiences. “I cannot thank the MarineLab Experiential learning program enough for giving my students this wonderful experience. For many of our newcomers, this was their first time seeing a reef. They were in awe! Thank you!” said Jeannette Wert, fifth grade teacher at Stanley Switlik Elementary School. Daniel P, one of the students, added “This is the best day ever!”
“I have had the privilege of going to MarineLab on both a single day trip and an overnight stay and both visits were amazing experiences. The staff are all friendly and knowledgeable, every expectation is explained to the students and the instructors take amazing care of the students while they are snorkeling in the water. The lessons on marine life and ecology are relevant to the students’ lives here in the keys and the lessons flow in an order that introduces students to a concept and then shows them the real-life application. MarineLab runs an impressive program, and it is a great opportunity to get to go! I can’t wait to plan my next school visit,” stated Robert Driscoll, a science teacher at Marathon Middle School.
Students are able to practice real-life applications to citizen science, like our water quality data collection program
None of these life-changing experiences for our local Monroe County students would be possible without this fund. We can thank over $50,000 in generous donations from The Edward B. Knight and Joan T. Knight Foundation, The Lookout Foundation, Councilman Buddy Pinder’s campaign account, The Rotary Club of Marathon, The Rotary Club of Sunrise Key West, The Rotary Club of Sunset Key West, Michelle’s Foundation, and the support of individuals from Leadership Monroe-Class XXIX-Delta Forces.
Help all of our Monroe County students experience the incredible ocean world of the Florida Keys!
As the coconut telegraph spreads the news to teachers and administrators in Monroe County about the Saltwater Superheroes Fund, we know we will need even more additional scholarships. Now that we’ve got the ball rolling, we want every student in the Keys to have the experience of a lifetime, and the chance to discover what is in their own backyard. If you have interest in supporting the Saltwater Superheroes fund, please donate at www.saltwatersuperheroes.com or contact kim@marinelab.org today!!!