Northeastern University College of Science

Since 2015, in collaboration with the Nahant Education Foundation, the Marine Science Center Outreach Program has been working with the Johnson Elementary School in Nahant to develop and implement marine science activities at every grade level. This happens via three interactions each year between the Marine Science Center Outreach Program and every class from PreK through Grade 6.

Place-based programs include classroom and field-based exploration of local coastal habitats. Each grade level explores a different theme such as Habitats and Human Impacts for Kindergarten, Marine adaptations for Grade 3, and Nahant Geology: Rock Dating and Fossils for Grade 6. All programming is designed with feedback from Johnson School staff and is tailored to complement the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Standards.

In 2017, the Johnson Elementary School was honored with a New England Aquarium Ocean Stewardship Award for excellence in marine science and sustainability programming and projects.

Click here for a wrap-up article from the 2015-16 year

The Marine Science Center is pleased to collaborate with Lynn Public Schools in several ways.

• Elementary schools: In-school programs are offered at Aborn, Brickett, Harrington, and Hood elementary schools thanks to an annual grant from the Friends of Lynn & Nahant Beach that began in 2015.
• Middle schools and High schools:
  • Since 2012, the School to Sea Program, supported by the Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation has allowed every 6th grader from all three middle schools to able to participate in a field trip to the Marine Science Center each year.
  • In 2018, the School to Sea Program was honored at the Massachusetts State House, receiving the Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education.
  • In 2018, to meet the changing goals of the Lynn Public Schools, the School to Sea program will transition to the high school level, allowing approximately 500 11^th and 12^th grade students from all four Lynn high schools to visit the Marine Science Center, interact with researchers, and learn about marine science study and careers.
  • The Friends of Lynn & Nahant Beachfirst supported the North Shore High School Marine Science Symposium in 2016, and in 2017 donated scholarships for 76 LPS high schoolers to attend.

A number of other Lynn schools engage the MSC outreach program in fee-based field and classroom programs each year.