Environmental Learning Outside the Classroom (ELOC), coordinated by both the Virgin
Islands Marine and Advisory Service (VIMAS) and the Virgin Islands Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR) is an initiative that uses best practices in informal STEAM (Science
Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics) education to help make Science fun and
engaging. Through ELOC, educators can partner with us to plan and coordinate STEAM-based
activities, that align with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), are locally relevant, and highlight the importance of our native flora and
fauna.
LET'S MAKE SCIENCE EDUCATION FUN!
Explore the possibilities with ELOC below.
Have you ever seen a brittle star up close? Through ELOC activities, students can
explore a nearshore coastline to observe marine invertebrates in their natural habitat.
Equipped with Viewfinder buckets, you can easily get a glimpse of the underwater environment
without the need for snorkel gear.
Mangroves are important coastal plants that 1) Protect our shorelines by reducing
the effects of storm surge and 2) Provide habitat for various marine and terrestrial
animals. Unfortunately, within the last century, the U.S. Virgin Islands has lost
over 60% of its mangrove forest cover due to natural and man-made disturbances. To
combat this loss, planting mangroves is an excellent strategy and can be part of
your next ELOC experience!
Did you know that almost 90% of marine debris in the U.S. Virgin Islands comes from
land-based sources? Beach cleanups are great at removing this trash/debris before
it enters the marine environment. These beach cleanups mirror those conducted during
our annual Coastweeks cleanups where volunteers not only remove trash from our coastlines, but also record
what they found and how much.
Using immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR), we can create engaging
video content to highlight our unique ecosystems and habitats found in the U.S. Virgin
Islands. Join us in this 360-video where we explore mangrove ecosystems at the St.
Thomas East End Reserve, also known as STEER. Click on the image to watch the video;
at any time during the video, you can click on the video to rotate it in full 360-degree
space giving you the ability to see not only what is infront of you, but also behind.
For a more immersive experience, try viewing the video from a mobile device and an
appropriate VR headset.
Building from our Water Heroes Program, your next ELOC experience could include a combination of hands on activities focused
on water quality testing and water filtration. Students can collect water samples
and analyze them in real time at UVI's Environmental Analysis Lab; exploring career
pathways in STEAM has never been this exciting!
TAKE YOUR TEACHING TO A NEW LEVEL!
Registration is quick and easy!
Take a look at our current selection of Science themes we can explore during your
next ELOC experience:
Lesson Plan: Provides an overview of the Shoreline walk activity, what to expect, standards covered
during the activity.
Worksheet: A worksheet that educators can assign to students to assess their understanding
of marine inveretbrates.
Worksheet (Answer Key): A worksheet (with answers) that educators can assign to students to assess their
understanding of marine inveretbrates.
Scavenger Hunt Activity: A scavenger hunt activity for students to assess their marine invertebrate identification
skills.
Lesson Plan: Provides an overview of the Marine and Coastal Plants activity, what to expect,
standards covered during the activity.
Worksheet: A worksheet that educators can assign to students to assess their understanding
of marine and coastal plants.
Worksheet (Answer Key) : A worksheet (with answers) that educators can assign to students to assess their
understanding of marine and coastal plants.
Scavenger Hunt Activity : A scavenger hunt activity for students to assess their marine and coastal plant
identification skills.
Mangrove Restoration Webpage: A webpage for the Mangrove Restoration Project where you can learn more about this
program and volunteer.
Lesson Plan: Provides an overview of the Marine Debris activity, what to expect, standards covered
during the activity.
Worksheet: A worksheet that educators can assign to students to assess their understanding
of marine debris.
Worksheet (Answer Key) : A worksheet (with answers) that educators can assign to students to assess their
understanding of marine debris.
Memory Matching Game: An online game that students can play to test their memory while learning about
marine debris.
Coastweeks Webpage: A webpage for the annual Coastweeks cleanups where you can learn more about this
program and volunteer.
USVI Marine Debris Curricula: Locally relevant marine debris curricula developed in conjunction with USVI educators
that is available for use.
Lesson Plan: Provides an overview of the Water Science activity, what to expect, standards covered
during the activity.
Worksheet: A worksheet that educators can assign to students to assess their understanding
of water quality and water filtration.
Worksheet (Answer Key) : A worksheet (with answers) that educators can assign to students to assess their
understanding of water quality and water filtration.
Water Heroes Webpage : A webpage for the Water Heroes Program where you can learn more about this program.
Send an E-mail to both Howard Forbes Jr. (howard.forbes@uvi.edu). ELOC activities will be scheduled based on our team's availability.
CONTINUE YOUR OCEAN EXPLORATION!
We also offer marine science-based summer programs for youth.
