Community Engagement
School/program engages diverse STEM community in order to support and sustain STEM programs and initiatives.
Concept 1 - School/program establishes and maintains sustainable partnerships with a variety of community organizations, including local businesses, STEM practitioners, institutions of higher education, and individuals/families.
Concept 2 - School/program proactively seeks resources and support from STEM partners to improve STEM teaching and learning.
The Pelicans Nest Science Lab is a marine and environmental science lab for kindergarten through sixth grade students. The program was formed in 1997 and is the signature project for the Fairhope Educational Enrichment Foundation (FEEF). The Pelican’s Nest Science lab is a 23-year-old partnership through FEEF and BCBE. In addition to funding the initial operating expenses for the program, FEEF enlisted several donors for the construction of the building. The following businesses provided funding or in-kind services to construct the Pelican's Nest Science Lab Building: Fairhope Paint and Decorating, City of Fairhope, Reynolds Ready Mix, Mathes Electric Supply Company, NFL Building Center, Lakeview Drywall, Master Gardeners, Peter Henning, Jim Boothe Contracting and Supply, Sherman International Concrete Group, Associated Manufacturers Agents of Mobile, Steve Sloan, Magnolia Electric, DP McFarland, Wood Specialties, Kemco, Sand and Clay, Terminix, Cliff Pittman, Flowerwood Nursery, Fairhope Winnelson, Brabner and Holland, Wagoner and Sons, Scott Donnelly, Heritage Supply Divisions, Gulf Enterprises, Coastal Painting, John Wheeler, Commercial Flooring, Baldwin Heating and Air Conditioning, Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects, CDC Engineers, McCrory and Williams, Thompson Engineering Testing, Bealle Dawson, Pete Bremer, Signs Now Daphne, Baldwin County Master Gardners, David Byrne, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Baldwin County Commission, Kathy Ginder Ceramic Designs, WKRG Studio, Eastern Shore Home Beautifiers, Mobile Bay Towing, Cresent Towing, Signs Now, Gulf Lumber and Monsanto. While the Baldwin County School System provides the educator for the program (Kacie Hardman, Educator/Director), FEEF provides ongoing funding for resources to maintain the program.
For 23 years, the Pelican's Nest Science Lab has received support from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL). The DISL is a state funded program that provides the marine science department for 23 colleges. DISL provides support with aquarium maintenance, supplies, fresh and saltwater live specimens for two 55-gallon aquariums along with marine scientists who have provided presentations on numerous research subjects for the students. In addition, DISL provides education resources, living specimens and nonliving specimens. Lab and field experiences are planned in collaboration with Dr. John Dindo and various marine biologists to connect real world and updated research. DISL Marine Mammal Sighting Network partners with the Pelican's Nest Science Lab to present annual research to the second grade students. Dr. Ruth Carmichael and scientists judge a contest for the students and allow the winners of the contest to take a tour of the lab.
The Pelican’s Nest Science Lab, in conjunction with the Fairhope West Elementary School and Fairhope East School, has partnered with Fairhope community businesses such as Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects (Mac Walcott), Omega Outdoors (Chad Allen), South Coast Engineers ( Dr. Scott Douglass), Tremco Roofing (Pat Williamson), Centerstate Bank (Fred Hardman), Bay Animal Clinic (Dr. Alan Kuhn), The Church Mouse (Spencer Johnson) and Ricky Trione Art (Ricky Trione), Eco Three Insulation (Walker Goodrich), Watershed (Rebecca Bryant), Roger Tyler Artist, Katherine Watkins Artist, Courtney Matthews Artist, First Baptist Church of Fairhope (Rev Kevin Nelson) and the Lyons Share (Mike Lyons) .
Higher learning institutions such as The University of South Alabama College of Education (Dr. Karyn Tunks and Dr. Elizabeth Allison) , University of South Alabama College of Engineering (Dr. Scott Douglass), University of South Alabama Department of Biology (Dr. David Nelson) and Coastal Alabama Community College (Audra Warren) provide collaboration and resources for field and lab experiences.
Other organizations and entities that have periodic involvement with the Pelican's Nest Science Lab include the following: Alabama Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (Roger Clay), US Fish and Wildlife (Dr.Jeff Powell), Alabama Coastal Conservation Association, Alligator Alley (Wes Moore), Mobile Baykeepers, Alabama Coastal Cleanup and Junior Auxiliary.
The Pelican's Nest Science Lab has been the recipient of multiple awards along with recognition in multiple publications. The are as follows: Keystone Magazine feature article (May, 2017 Baldwin County Students are Learning by Doing), Science and Children feature article (March, 2017 Down by the Bay), Young Children feature article (September 2020), Coastal Living Magazine Best of the Coast-Education (2002), Baldwin County Environmental Responsibility Award- Educational Program Category (2000), SeaWorld/Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Award First Place (2000), The Lyons Share Award for Excellence in Education (2009), Environmental Education Association of Alabama-Best Community Environmental Education Project (2000) and Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow- Charlene Dindo/ Founding Director (2002-2003)
Turn to pages 28-29 of the journal to read about our students "...learning by doing."
As Director of the Pelican's Nest Science Lab, Kacie Hardman facilitates field trips that give students hands-on STEAM activities and field experiences that provide ownership to Mobile Bay. Students are introduced to the ecology of Mobile Bay and surrounding waters through collection and identification of native aquatic plants, marine life and coastal birds. Students use collecting equipment, microscopes and iPads to explore the ecology of Mobile Bay. Lesson plan topics include water quality, water types, weather instruments, hurricanes, sand dunes, habitats, map skills, water currents, oceanography, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), water mapping, adaptations, brown pelicans, crustaceans, watersheds, Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, manatees, horseshoe crabs, pollution, sea turtles, and various research equipment.
The director of the PNSL works with classroom teachers and seeks out community partners to provide authentic foundations/ hands-on experiences for learning. PNSL extends STEM connections with individual guest scientists to speak and volunteer in classrooms, to assist teachers in real-world connections /experiences and collaborates to build the Google Classrooms for each experience. The Google Classrooms provide the rigor to the relevance experience in the lab. All Google Classrooms include pre-lab activities and resources as well as post-lab extensions and reflections. During labs students work through the EDP to solve real-world local problems provided by the DISL or various environmental organizations partnered with the PNSL. Parents and teachers work with PNSL Director teacher to specifically carry out/plan, implement hands-on learning in the lab and "Down By the Bay" where students are immersed in the marine environment. During all field experiences, students and parents use dip nets, cast nets, and seine nets to collect live specimens from Mobile Bay. Our outdoor learning environment is MOBILE BAY! Students gain ownership to the standards AND their ecosystem.
The kindergarten through sixth grade field experiences, Down at the Bay and At the Edge of the Bay, impacts other schools, classrooms, grade levels, parents, teachers and chaperones by involving them in marine and environmental science awareness. Teachers have been returning for field experiences since the PNSL started. Over the past years the PNSL has hosted elementary teacher workshops on technology/science, proposal writing to apply for grants, and mentoring nominees who apply for the Presidential Award for Excellence in mathematics and science teaching (www.paemst.org). Spin-off projects at other schools have included Sea, Sand, and Stars at Orange Beach Elementary, Science Lab at Bayside Elementary, and Turtle Point in Flomaton.
Sustaining Current Practice
We have started creating a Fairhope Feeder Pattern STEAM PLT that incorporates Fairhope West Elementary School, Fairhope East Elementary School, J.L. Newton School, Fairhope Middle School, Fairhope High School. This will allow vertical teaming and opportunities for higher education students to peer mentor. The Fairhope STEAM PLT will collaborate with the Fairhope Enrichment Education Foundation (FEEF) to ensure all FEEF resources are being implemented in the classrooms and FEEF science labs. This PLT will support FEEF with their vision to expand the Pelican’s Nest Science Lab. FEEF has a plan to implement a STEAM Center for our students and all of Baldwin County. The STEAM Center will provide long-term and consistent educational contributions to Baldwin County students year round.The campus master plan includes a Performing Arts Center and lease space for higher education and business partners. The STEAM Center is an effort to engage the entire community, support and showcase innovative education, and promote Fairhope’s unique environment. To learn more about this opportunity click here: STEAM Center.
Next Steps
With partnerships in the community and across our two coastal counties, Mobile and Baldwin County are provided with in-kind contributions from the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL). We would like to have more partnerships. With the strong partnership with DISL and various local environmental organizations, the Pelican’s Nest would like to be the liaison providing resources across all BCBE schools on a shared platform for resources to be checked and used in the classroom - Google Classroom, marine/environmental science lessons, resources, equipment.
Our STEAM PLT will work with the Pelican’s Nest director and FEEF to continue to develop pre-kindergarten through sixth grade Google Classrooms, partner with local scientists and environmental organizations, as well as provide professional development for teachers in the Fairhope feeder pattern. This STEAM PLT will act as the liaisons for their school/grade level. In addition we are in the process of having an Awareness Art Contest per grade level. This contest will have a grade level creature feature. The content knowledge will be built through local quest scientists presentations and a GC that incorporates activities to connect students to the Pelican’s Nest labs and field experiences from that year.