Coastal Carolina University students team up with Horry County schools

Six Coastal Carolina University graduate students in the Marine and Wetland Studies program have been selected to take part in a program that will pair them with students in Science Education programs in Horry County schools.

The inaugural GK-12 program was developed with a $2.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation.  CCU received the grant in May.

The Horry County schools taking part are Myrtle Beach High School, Loris Middle School, Carolina Forest High School, Forestbrook Middle School, and North Myrtle Beach High School.

According to a press release from CCU, the participating graduate students, known as GK-12 Fellows, develop and teach lesson plans based on specific research projects. They will also serve as a scientific resource for the classroom teacher, as well as working to tutor and mentor students.

All the research projects will focus on some aspect of coastal science.  That includes research on sharks, blue crabs, wetland biodiversity, fungus in area beach sand and the ecology of the area’s former rice fields, according to CCU officials.