Heather Congdon Memorial Grant: Education Outreach of Coral Reef Ecosystems
- School Year: 2023-2024
- Applicants: Anthony Wasley, Lead Applicant
- School: Hall High School
- Subjects: Science, STEAM
The purpose of this grant is to give Hall High students in the Coral Project club the ability to promote ocean conservation to young children in the West Hartford district. Students from the club will share their knowledge of aquarium husbandry, coral reef ecosystems, and ocean conservation by building and teaching the process of maintaining a small reef aquarium in elementary and/or middle schools. Students from the Coral Project club will visit the schools throughout the year and guide them through caring for the aquarium until the school is confident enough to take care of the aquarium themselves. A strong relationship between the students from both schools will continue to grow over the years as new coral enter the aquariums or old corals outgrow the aquarium. Reef aquariums open endless doors to conversations about animal behavior, understanding unique ecosystems, and even discussions of climate change/sustainability.