Navigating Unmapped Waters COA’s Spring Student Summit Goes Virtual!

For the past 31 years, hundreds of public and private middle school students (grades 5-8) have gathered at Gateway National Recreation Area - Sandy Hook in mid-May for COA’s Spring Student Summit. Here, they are given the unique opportunity to be “scientists for the day,” participating in a multitude of hands-on presentations and field activities taught by outstanding local educational professionals and volunteers.

While COA could not physically gather this May to host the 32nd Annual Spring Student Summit, we were able to extend its legacy by launching our first ever Virtual Spring Student Summit! Over 600 students from 15 schools in northern and central New Jersey participated online, learning about the ecological significance of the NY/NJ coast, its threats from “people pollution,” and ways to be the solution!  

Though geographically distant, students showed unity in learning about our marine environment by all participating during the week of May 11th. In doing so, they became part of a broader educational effort, as if they were all together on the shores of Sandy Hook, as originally planned.

COA thanks our true-blue sponsors, The OceanFirst Foundation and Eloise and John Pound, for making this program possible! It truly was a "sea-rific" success!