The challenges that the Texas coast will face in the coming decades will need some creative solutions. Custom Coastal’s main mission is to aid teachers with the application of the Texas Education Knowledge Standards (TEKS) and Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Pathways to increase students’ awareness and understanding of the unique and diverse realities that surround our coastal town. Our younger generation have unique opportunities that can be memorably witnessed on a trip aboard a vessel through the shipping channels that connect the Gulf of Mexico to the Galveston Bay.
Fueled by Emily’s passion for field marine science instruction and combined with her commitment to Galveston’s future, she created this program to highlight our diverse natural and economic resources that are unique to our coastal community. She believes that if students are given access to the diverse array of opportunities in the maritime sector, they can identify future career paths and fields of study that will not only enrich their lives, but the future of Galveston.
I developed the curriculum for Custom Coastal Outreach to be taught on a boat, but when it became apparent that we needed to reach many more students than the boat’s capacity, we decided to pivot. We had taken for granted that the typical Galvestonian public school student was ready to get on a boat.
The marine resources of the Gulf Coast are not easily accessed. It takes grit to enter the soft-bottomed, murky waters of this sub-tropical environment filled with things that can bite or sting you.
We need a tool that can reach this often overlooked and untapped resource of kids who are committed to forming a better life for themselves. Our marine resources are not easily accessible and until they are, until the kids understand the value of their natural resources, they will not imagine a career in the lucrative industries these resources support.
With Custom Coastal Outreach, we have initiated a new project, Gulf Coast Kids which will be the social platform to roll out shorts and reels of digital educational materials (taken from my boat, interviewing people, and digital lesson plans) that will build the curriculum for Gulf Coast Sciences. Some of our students have access to Environmental Science and Aquatic Science, but we believe public schools located near the Gulf Coast should get a specialized version that will enhance their understanding of coastal resources and introduce the students to lucrative careers in the maritime industries.
We have developed many valuable partnerships along the Texas Gulf Coast. Through our involvement with the Gulf of Mexico/America Alliance we have learned that there are many people who care about this cause, we can be the catalyst to unite our efforts.
That is why we are working on the creation of curriculum and educational materials that will culminate in an approved TEA Innovative and Local Course: Gulf Coast Sciences (see GCK Video).
Each component will also provide more information on industry-based certifications, career pathways, fields of study, universities, nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies involved in the maritime sector.
Our programs have three main elements: Coastal Science Overview, Fisheries, and Biology. Teachers can elect a secondary focus from six other auxiliary programs: Engineering, Safety, Transportation, Administration, Entrepreneurship, and Resiliency.
“Hands-on learning increases student engagement by 48%. Hands-on learning can improve long-term memory function by 77%. After participating in an active learning session, student failures decreased by 33%. 86% of students find learning more enjoyable with hands-on experience.”
Gitnux.org
A student once told me that she felt like all of her environmental education seemed hopeless – she wished more solutions were discussed. We have compiled a large library of The Galveston Daily News articles to associate with each program and inspire thought about creative solutions to economic and environmental challenges we may face.
Our teachers are over-worked and under-paid. Governmental agencies seem elusive. Nonprofits seldomly work together. Industries are hungry for a qualified workforce. Universities are promoting collaboration to create solutions. We present students with valuable information that may help guide their pathway through high school, college, and future careers. We highlight career paths that are not considered common in all regions of Texas and reduce barriers of entry (perceived and real) to all students.
Curriculum Development
We create curriculum that is specific to the Gulf Coast that also aligns to Texas Education Knowledge Standards (TEKS) for primary and secondary students. This allows schools to request and receive valuable funding that will enhance their students learning experience. Eventually this will include pre- and post-visit activities that will prepare the students for their field trip and help solidify their learning experiences while back at school. These activities along with implementing a benchmark measuring scale will help us track our successes in the students’ understanding of the topics covered. These results will help teachers acquire funding and insure the success of the program for future students.
Outreach
Custom Coastal Outreach is dedicated to forming alliances with partners that bring validity to our program and enhance the students’ experience by demonstrating what the kids are learning about in real-time applications. Imagine linking a boat ride focusing on Marine Science Overview with auxiliary program in Emergency Response and Public Safety to a field trip to the United States Coast Guard Base (USCG) Galveston to meet the people who are committed to protecting our coast. Endless opportunities exist in and around Galveston.