12th Annual SEEA Conference & Research Symposium

Join researchers from the USM Center for Fisheries Research and Development for a half-day shark tagging expedition aboard the R/V Jim Franks. Assist scientists in deploying baited hand lines, collecting biological data, and tagging live sharks to support ongoing research on Gulf of Mexico shark populations. Along the way, learn about shark ecology, conservation efforts, and the critical role these apex predators play in marine ecosystems. This hands-on research experience offers a unique opportunity to contribute to real scientific studies while exploring Mississippi's coastal waters. Transportation is provided.

The Environmental Justice STEMM Leadership Academy (EJSLA) is an innovative afterschool program designed to educate and empower middle and high school students in coastal communities about environmental justice issues along the Gulf of Mexico. Through hands-on STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) activities, community-based research, and advocacy training, students become agents of change, equipped to address environmental challenges affecting their communities.

This interactive presentation will showcase the structure, curriculum, and impact of EJSLA. Participants will engage in hands-on activities drawn directly from our Academy sessions.
We will also display student work, including research projects and advocacy campaigns. These artifacts will illustrate the depth of student learning, their ability to translate STEMM knowledge into action, and the power of youth-led advocacy. Throughout the session, we will share our successes, challenges, and lessons learned, providing insights into program implementation, student engagement, and strategies for fostering leadership in young people. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for developing similar initiatives in their own communities and institutions, along with a deeper understanding of how environmental justice education can inspire the next generation of changemakers.

With federal and traditional funding sources shifting rapidly, many of us are finding ourselves in unfamiliar, unstable territory. How do we build a sustainable future when the old funding models are no longer reliable? This session will dig into strategies for cultivating individual donors, writing and managing grants, building foundation relationships, and thinking strategically about where your next dollars can come from. You'll leave with real-world examples, templates for your own fundraising strategy, and tips you can immediately put into action—whether you’re an all-volunteer organization or part of a larger team.  Change can be tough, but it can also spark new ideas, new partnerships, and new opportunities.

UL Research Institutes is a world-leading organization that is hard at work discovering how safety science can help solve increasingly urgent problems like renewable energy from lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, ULRI is committed to educating the future of safety science with their free platform - Xplorlabs.org. Xplorlabs inspires students and educators to solve real problems like supply chain issues of lithium-ion batteries. In this interactive session participants will attempt to mine for resources, reclaim the land once those resources have been extracted, and use the no cost Xplorlabs.org to explore solutions to the problems mineral extraction poses. They will then consider the application of this hands-on lab to place-based education opportunities (e.g. Okefenokee Swamp titanium mine, Boundary Waters copper and nickel mine).

Join The Living Arts & Science Center for a deep dive into implementing environmental education through the lens of a multidisciplinary non-profit.

The Living Arts & Science Center’s mission is to engage the community in participation in the arts and sciences through education, discovery, exploration, and creativity. The LASC is a unique educational institution where both art and science learning is collaboratively taught. Diverse programming is offered to individuals, schools, artists, and agencies making learning accessible to all. LASC programming is offered at our downtown Lexington location as well as in schools, community centers, libraries, hospitals, parks, and other facilities throughout the Commonwealth.

You will be joined by Jeanette Tesmer: Executive Director, Callie Northern: Education Director, and Lennon Michalski: Gallery Director. Jeanette Tesmer, Callie Northern and Lennon Michalski will dive into how their non profit organization implements environmental education and sustainability into their programming.

Executive Director, Jeanette Tesmer, will discuss the value of partnership with the community. How to effectively plan and prepare for funding opportunities with sustainability in mind. Education Director, Callie Northern, will discuss implementing valuable educational opportunities that include environmental education and sustainability. Programming opportunities include field trips, summer camps, and classes for both adults and children. By 2026, LASC’s plans to fully grow all of the on-site animals' food through hydroponic systems. Gallery Director, Lennon Michalski, will discuss LASC’s chef in residence program and share opportunities and goals for LASC’s kitchen to become not only a place for educational opportunities, but be fully sustainable utilizing the grounds for garden spaces that can be turned into multiple educational opportunities.

The Mississippi Coastal Cleanup Program (MSCCP) is bringing hands-on experiences to Coastal Mississippi classrooms! MSCCP is a non-profit educational program that promotes the conservation of the local marine environment by facilitating active stewardship within coastal Mississippi. The MSCCP was formed with the mission of preventing and removing litter from the coastal environment through education, outreach, research, and cleanup events.

MSCCP hosts and facilitates cleanups throughout the year, bringing together volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to help keep Mississippi beaches clean and beautiful. Our volunteers make a huge difference in our understanding of the types and quantities of litter found locally, but reducing litter and marine debris starts long before a beach cleanup. While cleanups are important to collect data and possible sources of debris, the cycle will never end if we do not stop it at its source. A critical step toward this end is education.

MSCCP visits classrooms in K-12 schools as well as community organizations to teach students about the hazards associated with marine debris and ways to reduce the amount of waste we produce in our daily lives. MSCCP engages students in learning through hands-on activities, including microplastic filtration and observation, the "Fishing with Trash" game, and opportunities to participate in cleanups on or off campus. All presentation materials and activities are aligned to Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards.

This session relates to the conference strand “Bringing EE to the Classroom” as it incorporates standards, supports teachers with activity guides, and is nature-based. It also opens pathways to partnering with school districts for long-term, sustainable programming through alignment with state standards.

Participants can expect to learn the details of each activity as well as receive activity guides, if desired. Participants will also take part in playing the "Fishing with Trash" game.

Learn why stories matter and why they are so effective in creating emotional and intellectual connections to the natural world.

Hop aboard the Biloxi Shrimp Tour for a fascinating look at the region's vibrant shrimping industry, where you'll see working boats and learn about the history and techniques behind the catch. Along the way, hear from local shrimpers and gain insight into the challenges and rewards of harvesting the Gulf's prized seafood.

Join a Master Naturalist on a guided trail walk through a lush landscape filled with native plants, where you'll learn about the unique flora that thrives in the region. Discover the ecological importance of these plants and how they support local wildlife, all while gaining a deeper appreciation for the natural beauty around you. You must arrange your own transportation.

Embark on a scienc boat ride to Deer Island, a pristine barrier island just off the coast of Biloxi, where you can explore sandy beaches and enjoy spectacular views of the Gulf of Mexico. Whether you're hiking, birdwatching, or simply relaxing, this uninhabitated island offers a peaceful escape into nature.

NEED offers a vast number of activities that combine our desire to have energy and the impact it has on the environment. We will work through activities and explore the NEED website.

Community Engaged Learning (CEL) is a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs. Faculty and educators facilitate these experiences by creating each facet of the engaged activity with a designated community partner, discussing and evaluating the mutually beneficial, reciprocal relationship that ensures all parties are supported. The specific links between the CEL experiences and the student learning outcomes are reflected in the activities that the students take part in as an intentional part of the instruction and contributes to the depth of students’ learning within the context of their studies. Students are given ongoing structured opportunities for critical reflection before, during and after their engagement that are designed to have them pause and consider how what they are seeing and experiencing matters not only to themselves, but also the communities in which they live and grow. In this session, Kelly Porter, design and environmental educator, will discuss this dynamic pedagogy using case studies from courses she’s created at the higher education level that merge design, EE and environmentally based non-profits in her community of Northeast Tennessee. Attendees will learn best practices in Community Engaged Learning (CEL), including guided reflection as a key stage of the CEL process. They will also receive resources to help them begin their own CEL initiatives from both the educator’s and the community partner’s perspectives.
This session aligns with the volunteer track, as CEL fosters a reciprocal exchange—providing students with real-world, high-impact learning experiences while supporting community partners through meaningful service-learning projects.
Additionally, this session fits within the ""EE through a societal lens"" track, as CEL pedagogy encourages students to reflect on how their efforts throughout a project directly impact their communities. This reflection can foster a heightened sense of empathy and an awareness of the significant effects their actions can have.