In July, Salish Sea Expedition’s Executive Director Stephen Streufert and Education Director Jenny McColloch travelled to NOAA headquarters just outside of Washington, DC, to join other B-WET grant recipients from across the US.  The three-day conference focused on the delivery and evaluation of meaningful educational experiences related to watersheds and estuaries.  Salish, awarded the federal grant in 2008, joined approximately 80 other grantee organizations and NOAA leadership for the event.

Streufert and McColloch were asked to present in a plenary session an overview of the Salish’s Sound and Source program, highlighting the organizational lessons learned through working with students and teachers in designing original research on Puget Sound and in the students’ local watersheds.  Salish’s inquiry-based model, focusing on students’ curiosity about the natural world, has become an exemplary approach. “It was quite an honor to speak to our peers about our program,” Streufert said in reflection. “We were thrilled with the follow-up conversations our presentation generated—hearing praise from great organizations reinforced our strong belief in our program model.”

An additional highlight for the pair was a meeting with NOAA Administrator, Dr. Jane Lubchenco at a reception hosted at the National Aquarium.

Jenny, Bob Steelquist (Education and Outreach Coordinator, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary), Stephen, Traci Price (Director, Healthy Waters Institute), Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere serving as administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

While in DC, Streufert and McColloch also met face-to-face with Senator Maria Cantwell and Representatives Jay Inslee and Norm Dicks, sharing news of the success of Salish programs and the impact of these programs on teachers and students from schools throughout the state. “We know that science and innovation are critical to the future economic success of our region,” said Streufert, “and Salish’s programs are helping to fill the pipeline with the next generation of scientists.”

With the 2009-2010 school year about to begin, Salish is gearing up to meet the extensive demand for Sound and Source educational experiences among area teachers, students  and administrators. “We expect to see a significant increase in the number of students participating in Sound and Source in the coming year,” said Streufert, “as entire grades and even districts join in shore-based research in their local watersheds.”