Currents and Connections Post #10

October 01, 2025

Where education, science, and culture come together.

Alaska

Education coordinator holds a whiteboard to discuss water quality results with a group of students gathered around

Stori Oates, Communications and Education Coordinator for Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Auke Bay Laboratories, discusses water quality test results with middle school students attending ANSEP’s Middle School Career Explorations Camp in Juneau, Alaska. Credit: ANSEP.

During the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of working with communities, schools, and partners across Alaska through my role as the Communications and Education Coordinator for the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Auke Bay Laboratories. While our mission is grounded in scientific research, it also extends well beyond it. We are deeply committed to educational outreach that makes science local, hands-on, and meaningful for students and communities across the state.

These initiatives are especially unique in their focus on inspiring youth to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), and other stewardship-related fields. At the heart of this work is a simple but powerful belief: when students see how science connects to their everyday lives and the places they call home, they are more likely to see themselves as scientists, engineers, and environmental stewards.

To bring this vision to life, we co-develop place-based lesson plans, host educational webinars, support community science programs, and participate in outreach events throughout Alaska. This work is a vital part of NOAA’s national Education and Outreach efforts, which are guided by three core goals:

Public Engagement: Increasing public interest in, and understanding of, key scientific topics such as fisheries research, ocean health, biodiversity, and climate science.
Workforce Development: Inspiring and preparing the next generation of STEM professionals by providing students with opportunities to explore scientific careers.
Stewardship: Promoting informed environmental decision-making by making complex scientific information accessible and relevant to people’s lives.

Together, these efforts aim to build stronger connections between science and society—one student, classroom, and community at a time.

Place-Based Science with a Purpose

Our approach is rooted in collaboration. We work side-by-side with local schools, organizations, and cultural leaders to create educational materials and programs that reflect the unique ecosystems and cultures of Alaska. From fisheries research to ecosystem and climate science that inform management, our programs are designed within a framework that values local and Indigenous Knowledge and real-world application. For example, the Laaqudax̂: Northern Fur Seal Curriculum increases understanding of northern fur seals and Unangax̂ culture through adaptable lessons and activities for various grade levels, accessible even to teachers without prior background knowledge. Similarly, the Seaweed in the Classroom curriculum, a partnership between NOAA Fisheries researchers and both rural and urban Alaskan classrooms, engages students and communities in seaweed education and cultivation.

Montage of students in a classroom taking notes and writing on a whiteboard — Students from St. Paul School explored northern fur seal life history by creating a rookery timeline, one of the many activities from the Laaqudax̂: Northern Fur Seal Curriculum. Students voted on when they thought adult males, adult females, and pups arrived and left the rookery. Students also learned about where northern fur seals go after they leave the rookery and participated in an estimation activity where they learned how scientists estimate fur seals numbers and calculate averages. These lessons were developed by NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Thalassa Education, in partnership with the Pribilof School District, the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government, the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office, and the Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Montage of students collecting seaweeds — During Botany and Wild Edibles Week, Discovery Southeast Outdoor Explorers campers met NOAA scientists at Point Louisa to explore the intertidal and collect seaweed samples for an onsite bookmark making session. Lessons on seaweed anatomy and identification were based on the Seaweed in the Classroom Curriculum developed by NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office, Klukwan School, and Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

NOAA Live! Alaska: Connecting Classrooms to Scientists

One of our most impactful programs is the NOAA Live! Alaska webinar series, launched in 2020 during the pandemic. Designed for students in grades 2–8 (but open to all), this interactive series brings scientists and educators into classrooms virtually to share research and answer student questions about topics ranging from marine life to weather and fisheries.

A standout from our recent season featured a webinar on Western Alaska chum salmon, presented by Indigenous researcher Janessa Esquible, NOAA scientist Ed Farley, and student intern Mary Simeon. Their perspectives offered a powerful blend of science, culture, and community values.

Jessica Curry, a teacher at Harborview Elementary in Juneau, reflected on the experience: “Our class starts each year learning the Core Cultural Values… and this panel of presenters was amazing at showing their connection to salmon, the land, and how we can use learning to build stronger communities. Gunalchéesh haa éet yidasheeyí.”

Tile slide of NOAA Live! Alaska with pictures of presenters along the lefthand side — Chum salmon is a non-human relative and food source for many Alaska Native communities and critical resource for various fishing sectors across Alaska. Panelists discussed the importance of Indigenous-led research and youth engagement in fisheries research. The conversation also highlighted how bridging Western and Indigenous knowledge systems can create a better understanding of the health of salmon populations. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

During 2020 to 2025, the NOAA Live! Alaska webinar series has steadily connected students across the state with science and research rooted in Alaska’s unique environments. In Season 1 (2020–21), the series launched with 30 webinars, reaching 56 communities and over 3,000 viewers. Season 2 (2021–22) featured 12 webinars, engaging 27 communities and 15 classrooms. In Season 3 (2022–23), the program hosted 6 webinars involving 21 communities and 42 classrooms. Season 4 (2023–24) included 2 webinars that still reached 29 communities and 39 classrooms. Most recently, Season 5 (2024–25) presented 3 webinars, connecting with 25 communities and 14 classrooms. Across all five seasons, the series has continued to provide meaningful, accessible learning opportunities for students throughout Alaska.

Learning Beyond the Screen: Community-Based Programs

Our student opportunities go far beyond the screen. We believe in meeting students where they are, whether that’s out in the field, at camp, or in the classroom. During the past few years, we’ve had the chance to connect with students through a wide range of programs, including Alaska Sea Weeks, the Barrow Arctic Research Center (BARC) Science and Culture Fair, Bering Sea Days on St. Paul Island, ANSEP’s Middle School Career Explorations Camp, Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Summer STEAM Camp, and Upward Bound outings. We've also led hands-on activities for local elementary school STEAM nights, Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Raven Writes program, and the Juneau STEAM Coalition. Beyond Alaska, we support educators nationwide through the NOAA Teacher at Sea program and its Alumni Association, helping bring real-world science into classrooms across the country. Here are a few highlights:

Alaska Sea Week (2025) – Celebrating 55 Years

For over five decades, NOAA Fisheries Auke Bay Laboratories has partnered with the Juneau School District to provide elementary students with engaging, hands-on marine science experiences. Each year, staff have guided students through a series of activities that encourage youth to notice, observe, and learn about the sea creatures in their own backyard.

Ask anyone who’s spent time growing up in Juneau, and chances are they have a Sea Week story to tell. For decades, Sea Week has been a beloved local tradition, sparking curiosity about the ocean in generations of students. It’s more than just a school event. It is a shared community experience that often plants the seeds for future careers. Many of the scientists now working at Auke Bay Laboratories first encountered marine science through Sea Week, returning years later not as students, but as educators, mentors, and researchers. This full-circle journey highlights the lasting impact of early environmental education and the deep connection Juneau residents have with their coastal surroundings.

Sea Week Poster — Zoё Lessard’s first experience with Sea Week was as an elementary school student. Now in high school, Zoё returned to Auke Bay Laboratories as an intern to explore marine science education and scientific storytelling. One of her internship projects was creating a poster to share what makes Sea Week meaningful to her. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Montage of kindergarten students particpating in Sea Week activities — During Sea Weeks, lower elementary school students explored the aquarium and touch tanks, learned about intertidal animals through a felt board activity, and tangled up staff while building food webs! Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Montage of middle school students participating in Sea Week activities — Upper elementary school students joined us at the lab to learn about how innovative technologies enable NOAA scientists to stay on the cutting edge of research. Students surveyed the aquarium and touch tanks and learned how and why we estimate the number of fish for stock assessments by playing “Fish Fetch.” Students also watched the "We are Alaska Fisheries Science Center" video on the Science On a Sphere® (SOS) and asked scientists questions about their work. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Bering Sea Days – Saint Paul Island

During September of last year I traveled to Saint Paul Island to participate in the 2024 Bering Sea Days education event. Bering Sea Days is a unique program organized by the Aleut Community of Saint Paul Island Tribal Government Ecosystem Conservation Office. The event brings in teachers and scientists from a broad range of disciplines to engage pre-K to high school students in a variety of topics, including northern fur seal and seabird biology, contaminants, marine conservation, and traditional ways of life.

Montage of elementary school students in a classroom participating in Bering Sea Days activities — During Bering Sea Days, the Pre-K, K/1st, and 2nd/3rd classes dove into lessons about the characteristics of mammals and made paper bag puppets. They learned about the differences among seals, sea lions/fur seals, and walruses including how they walk and swim and had an opportunity to act it out themselves. They also dressed up like marine mammals to learn about the special features or adaptations that marine mammals have to thrive in the ocean. I asked the kids to imagine being tossed into the ocean and having to survive and what would be the challenges of living in the water as an air-breathing mammal? Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Montage of students at a northern fur seal rookery — After a brief overview of northern fur seal life history, I walked the 4th/5th grade class over to one of the rookeries where students spent time observing moms and pups and recorded their behaviors (e.g., vocalizing, nursing, swimming, resting) in field notebooks. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

ANSEP Middle School Career Explorations Camp

For three summers, middle school students at the ANSEP Career Explorations Camp spent a week in Juneau participating in hands-on STEM activities that built on their knowledge and sparked new discoveries. Campers met with industry professionals, University of Alaska faculty, and staff from federal agencies, including NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center to explore real-world applications of math and science. During visits to Auke Creek Research Station and the Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute, students learned how NOAA scientists use advanced technologies to study the effects of environmental change on Alaska’s marine life.

Intern holding field equipment explains how to sample to a group of students with a creek in the background — Christian Naea, Alaska Fisheries Science Center and ANSEP Summer Bridge Intern, leads ANSEP Middle School Career Exploration campers in water sampling at Auke Creek in Juneau, Alaska. Christian spent the summer in Juneau honing his scientific communication skills and is now pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Credit: ANSEP.

Raven Writes Program

Another exciting collaboration has been with the Raven Writes program developed by Sealaska Heritage Institute, the Juneau School District, and the Southeast Regional Resource Center. Designed for elementary students, teachers, and families, Raven Writes provides culturally relevant writing curricula, family engagement activities, and professional development opportunities. As part of this initiative, NOAA Fisheries has partnered with Sealaska Heritage Institute and the Juneau School District to design and lead in-person classroom visits that bring NOAA Fisheries research into local schools. These hands-on activities connect scientific topics to students' lived experiences and cultural context, enriching both their writing and their understanding of the natural world.

student looks through a microscope at a piece of plastic — During a Raven Writes classroom visit, students had an opportunity to sort through a bolus (the indigestible materials that are thrown up when the albatross chicks fledge before going out to sea) and learn about the impacts of plastic pollution on marine species. Students then brainstormed what they could do to reduce or eliminate plastic pollution in their school and at home. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

scientist helps students prepare microscope slides on a rocky beach — Becca Cates, a Mariculture Biologist with the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, led students through a phytoplankton activity developed for the Raven Writes program. During the lesson, students explored mariculture (the farming of seaweed and shellfish) in Alaska and discussed how harmful algal blooms could affect traditional food sources. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Making Science Accessible and Meaningful

One of the most rewarding parts of our work is participating in community education nights, where science becomes interactive and approachable. Held in local gathering spaces, these events feature hands-on activities and are often paired with food and informal conversation to create a welcoming atmosphere.

By fostering relaxed and open environments, we encourage dialogue, peer learning, and genuine curiosity. Whether it's a station on marine ecosystems or changing sea ice coverage, our goal is to make science feel relevant, engaging, and, most importantly, accessible to everyone.

Scientists stands in a conference room at a podium infront of a screen — Sarah Kerr, a Ph.D. student at Colorado State University, shares insights on northern fur seal nursing behaviors before leading an activity at the 2025 Alaska Marine Science Symposium’s Community Education Night. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Internships: Opening Doors in STEM

There are many pathways to a career in STEM, and for high school and college students, internships are often an important first step. These opportunities offer more than just work experience; they provide mentorship, skill-building, and a chance to explore what a STEM career might look like. This could include conducting research in a lab, collecting data in the field, or working aboard a research vessel. Over the past four years, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center has hosted 127 interns, giving students hands-on experience in marine science, research, and scientific communication. These internships help students gain a clearer understanding of the wide range of careers available in STEM and what it takes to pursue them.

Student stands next to her poster at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium — Mary Simeon, Alaska Fisheries Science Center intern. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Alaska Fisheries Science Center intern, Mary Simeon, presented a poster on her internship project at the 2025 Alaska Marine Science Symposium in January 2025 entitled: Oral History of Chum Salmon: The Tails of The Legendary Kuskokwim Salmon.“ Mary is currently a junior attending the University of Alaska Southeast. When asked about her experience, Mary responded, “The biggest takeaway from this project for me is that having normal conversations about the historical and present state of salmon is important. Talking about the issues will help bring attention to the future health of our salmon populations along the Kuskokwim River, encouraging youth to be more engaged with their environment.”

Montage of an intern conducting field work — Mehana Leafchild, NOAA Hollings Scholar and Alaska Fisheries Science Center intern. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Mehana Leafchild was a Hollings Scholar during the summer of 2024, contributing to NOAA Fisheries’ education and outreach efforts at the Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute. She explored ways to improve interpretive displays and public tours, working alongside researchers to develop outreach materials that explain how energy density measurements of fish support ecosystem-based fisheries management. Mehana also supported fellow interns and played a key role in science communication by producing a series of social media reels for Facebook and Instagram that highlight NOAA’s work: Reel 1, Reel 2, Reel 3, Reel 4.

Montage of Sea Week felt board activity and intern who created felt critters — Ruby Kresge, Alaska Fisheries Science Center intern. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Ruby Kresge is an undergraduate student attending the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, Alaska. As part of her Exploring Marine Science Education and Scientific Storytelling independent study, Ruby partnered with the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s education and outreach team to refresh the Sea Week felt wall activity. Designed for kindergarten and first-grade students, the activity helps young learners identify patterns, make observations, ask scientific questions, explore biodiversity, and understand how energy flows through marine food webs. Ruby used her artistic skills to create felt icons of recognizable Alaskan marine organisms. Species were selected based on their presence in the Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute aquarium, their visibility in Juneau waters, or their unique ecological roles. Through this project, Ruby aimed to deepen her understanding of Southeast Alaska’s marine life and learn how to design engaging, age-appropriate educational tools.

Montage of intern woking with students at STEAM events — Ella Kelly, Alaska Fisheries Science Center intern. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Ella Kelly, an undergraduate student at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, helped lead Sea Week activities as part of her independent study course, Exploring Marine Science Education and Scientific Storytelling. Hosted at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Auke Bay Laboratories, the course gave her hands-on experience in sharing marine science with local elementary students. Ella continued exploring STEM careers over the summer by joining NOAA Fisheries’ juvenile Pacific cod research survey in the Gulf of Alaska. She applied the science communication skills gained during her course to write a series of blog posts documenting her adventures aboard the Lady Sea.

Interns holding up their capstone project products — Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Sealaska Heritage Institute interns, Tearamae Alexander (left) and Olivia Mills (right), worked on interpretive exhibits for the Ted Stevens Marine Institute aquarium and touch tanks during the 2024 summer. Olivia researched the Tlingit names for the aquarium species and generated a species identification slide deck. Tearamae researched different habitat types and created education posters that are now mounted in the lobby. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Tearamae interned with Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Auke Bay Laboratories a second time during the 2025 summer. In her project capstone video, she explains how to collect and press seaweed.

Montage of interns tidepooling — During the spring of 2025, Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé students Siena Farr (left), Zoё Lessard (center), and Lucy Bennett (right) earned school service hours through a marine science education and scientific storytelling internship at Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Auke Bay Laboratories. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Each of the above students worked with the education and outreach team to develop their own projects and experiment with different communication methods and products. Siena wrote a blog post documenting her experience. Zoё designed educational activities and posters for Sea Week. Lucy updated the species identification slide deck for the Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute’s aquariums.

Looking Ahead: Inspiring the Next Generation

Our work is about more than just sharing science, It is about building lasting relationships, sparking curiosity, and supporting the next generation of leaders and problem-solvers. We’re proud to collaborate with Alaska’s educators, students, and communities to create learning experiences that are grounded in place, built on strong partnerships, and focused on the future.

These programs aren’t one-time events. They are long-term investments in Alaska’s youth and the future of its natural resources. By connecting students to science that is relevant to their everyday lives and communities, we help open doors to careers in STEM. At the same time, we foster a deeper understanding of the important role they can play in caring for the world around them.

Engaging youth in hands-on, place-based activities nurtures curiosity, creativity, and a sense of belonging, even among the youngest learners. Curiosity helps students embrace discovery, find joy in the unknown, and turn challenges into opportunities. Our team works to make science accessible by connecting it to what students already know: their communities, their environment, and their daily experiences. Through this approach, we hope to inspire a few future scientists along the way.

The key takeaway is simple: spending time in communities and offering consistent, hands-on learning opportunities makes a real difference.

Being part of this work has been incredibly rewarding. With every tidepool field trip, classroom lesson, and virtual webinar, we aim to ignite a passion for science and stewardship, and to help grow the next generation of scientists, leaders, and lifelong learners across Alaska.

Six women stand ankle deep in water in the intertidal — The future is bright for these students pursuing a career in the sciences. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.

Thank you to all the communities, partners, scientists, and educators who make this work possible. It’s an honor to walk alongside you as we continue building a stronger, more connected future for science, service, and stewardship in Alaska.

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