Abstract
Overall, racial and ethnic minorities as well as women are underrepresented in most STEM disciplines. Studies show that increasing student exposure to culturally relevant science curricula, especially early in life, increases opportunities for academic achievements and the potential for students to see themselves as future scientists. Elementary school serves as a critical developmental period, and increasing students’ sense of belonging in STEM spaces during this time has been shown to increase their pursuit of scientific exploration later in their careers. WAVES (Water Advocates and Visionaries for the Environment and Sea) is a community engagement and outreach program that strives to reduce inequities and expose students to marine conservation education. WAVES and the Shark Research and Conservation (SRC) program are initiatives within the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School Robert K. Johnson Center for Marine Conservation that are dedicated to outreach and education. As part of this mission, WAVES creates educational kits that include lesson plans and supplies for teachers. In 2025, WAVES will be partnering with Miami-Dade Public Schools (M-DCPS) and providing marine science-focused lesson plans for third-grade students. The objective of this project was to expand the available WAVES curriculum by creating three new lesson plans with educational kits in alignment with the M-DCPS third-grade curriculum to be provided to four schools and begin preparing for the first WAVES teacher professional development event. The lesson plans created were Light in the Ocean, Marine Ecosystem Energy, and Shark Conservation, which align with Florida’s state standards in science for third grade. Each lesson plan included background information, key terms, hands-on activities, a cultural/community relevance section, a list of potential careers related to the field, and a list of diverse scientists in the field. A schedule for a teacher professional development opportunity was also created, along with an infographic on best practices for educator professional development experiences. The recipients of these educational resources are Title I schools serving underrepresented student populations in the hopes that reaching those students early in their educations and providing access to an engaging marine science curriculum increases their future interest and involvement in STEM.