Abstract
This internship report is in relation to my time with Reef Relief in Key West, FL as a summer Coral Camp Intern. Reef Relief is a nonprofit organization that aims to raise marine science awareness through various modes of education, outreach, and other local initiatives. As a summer Coral Camp intern, I was tasked with delivering educational material to students each week, both in a classroom setting and while exploring the local ecosystems. The learning material consisted of novel PowerPoint presentations, quizzes that gauge retained content throughout the week, hands-on activities, and snorkeling trips. While developing the PowerPoint lessons and activities, I remained mindful of the overarching Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) that is embodied by this camp. ELT was selected as the model approach for this type of camp, as it prioritizes exposure to hands-on learning, especially with environmental (namely, marine) science. Offering students a variety of learning methods, indoor and outdoor, likely increases interest in the subject matter and increases student engagement. The goal of this project was to share ideas about marine conservation with the local population and non-locals who visit specifically for this camp. Project outputs include tracked improvement from the beginning to the end of the week-long camp via quiz scores, as well as collected feedback from campers and their guardians. The experiential learning opportunities in this camp are one-of-a-kind and could not be directly recreated outside of the Florida Keys. It is therefore our duty as educators to deliver as much valuable information about the local environment and the issues that it faces as possible. Sharing hands-on experiences with marine ecosystems will hopefully generate a passion for marine science and related topics for this new generation, especially given the current vulnerable state of Key West’s marine environments.