Guardians of the Gulf STEAM Program

The Project/Challenge

We want to help build a connected community of Guardians of the Gulf across the State of Florida and beyond. Guardians of the Gulf takes a foundational step as the beginning of a pipeline of programs needed to meaningfully engage with underserved communities about climate change and coastal resiliency. These grand challenges – bigger storms, intense heat, sunny day flooding — are no longer projections. They are here, and they demand diverse perspectives, participatory action-planning and innovative solutions. Our goal is not perfection; it is engagement, interest and action.

Make an even bigger impact! Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, your gift to Guardians of the Gulf will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $5,000, doubling the impact!

Who We Are

The USF College of Marine Science is proud of its more than 50-year legacy of ocean science research that matters to you, to our communities and to the world. We are one of the top ten marine science programs in the country and have an established legacy of building education and outreach programs that ensure our science is shared with K-12 students, teachers and communities. We empower the next generation with the tools they need to be informed ocean stewards.

Your Impact

Guardians of the Gulf leverages the power of real-time, multisensory tools to introduce youth to the interconnectivity of our natural environment, empower them to realize what’s at stake and inspire them toward action. Their future, and Florida’s, depend upon it. We will leverage the power of technology to take youth where they can’t normally go, and combine web-based educational experiences (e.g., gamified learning journeys) with hands-on activities, field trip excursions, and simple but powerful action projects designed to reinforce concepts, stimulate inquiry and sustain engagement.

What Your Gifts Will Do

• Provide a fun educational experience around coastal resiliency, research, and stewardship for participants, ages 7-13.

• Build a multisensory STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) program in St. Petersburg, FL about coastal and human resiliency that scales to other user groups and communities around the state of Florida and beyond.

• Introduce youth to the upside of climate and coastal change: the suite of upcoming and future STEAM-related jobs they can pursue – innovative jobs that will meet the needs of our changing environment.

Thanks for Your Support!

Thank you. With your support, Guardians of the Gulf is building a network of ocean stewards to make sure our coastlines stay in good shape for future generations. We are all in this challenge together, and we all have a part to play in finding solutions!

Spread the Word

We are counting on your help! Make an even bigger impact by sharing your support of this campaign using the social media tools at the top of this page.