Deborah Seitz, Donor Relationships Coordinator for Ocean Discovery Institute, explains the holoistic approach the Institute takes to enhancing science education for City Heights youth
Artist's rendition of the Living Lab, set to open in late 2017- tours of the site are held every Thursday afternoon
Although the ocean is integral to the lives of San Diegans, many San Diego county youth have never even been to the beach. Moreover, despite the strong scientific research being conducted in California and San Diego in particular, in the 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress that gauges knowledge of physical, life, Earth, and space sciences of 8th graders across the United States, only Alabama and Mississippi ranked lower than California.
The Ocean Discovery Institute (ODI) aims to change these statistics for youth in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood that lies just east of the I805-15 split. Deborah Seitz, ODI Donor Relations Coordinator, was the speaker at the August 4, 2017 meeting and highlighted the exciting projects offered by ODI. The Institute was founded in 1999 and its three core programs focus on raising community awareness of the importance of scientific literacy, providing hands-on science projects in the classroom, and research opportunities through the Leaders Programs. Over 6,000 City Heights children have benefitted from ODI instruction, as reflected by the increased science GPA of participating students.
Beginning in late 2017, ODI will expand its reach with the opening of the Living Lab, a 12,000 ft2 facility located within walking distance of many City Heights students. The Living Lab is part of a joint venture with San Diego Unified schools, and will allow ODI to provide thousands of hours of curriculum-aligned science education for more than 10,000 students. Deborah encouraged any interested members to register for tours of the Living Lab, which are held every Thursday afternoon at 4:30 PM. We congratulate ODI for their efforts to increase the quality of science education in the San Diego area, and help local youth aspire to careers in the sciences.