Teens Return From Science At Sea Program
Yesterday found Kebir Gadio and Shaunte Young returned to land at Woods Hole after 10 exciting days aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer. Both young Bermudians successfully completed the Science at SEA program in Woods Hole, Cape Cod, Massachusetts yesterday after spending an intensive 20-day program for high school students studying marine science and maritime studies. Kebir Gadio finished M3 at Somersfield Academy and will begin 9th Grade at Avon Old Farms School in Avon, Connecticut in September 2010 and Shaunte Young is starting her second year at Berkeley Institute.
The SSV Corwith Cramer pulled up to Dyers Dock in Woods Hole at 8:00 am with 24 exuberant but exhausted young students from across the United States and Bermuda. Captain Virginia Land-McGuire of the Corwith Cramer gave hugs all around and stated that “it was a pleasure to have Shaunte and Kebir on board.” All three are pictured below:
The young mariners were quite exhausted but very excited over the program and all their experiences. The students completed intensive courses with nightly homework, journals, projects, essays and readings, including Captain Courageous by Rudyard Kipling.
Kebir Gadio loved visiting the New Bedford Whaling museum and boarding the whaling vessels. He was fascinated with the varieties of sea life they found in the ocean and the salt water marsh.
Mr. Gadio exclaimed: “I worked really hard but it was all worth it. The iridescent phyto-plankton were beautiful, glowing at night. The three weeks with SEA was awesome!”
Shaunte Young is talking about going back to SEA at the University level to study for a semester. She stated: “The experience was wonderful. All the students got along so well. We all enjoyed learning in an environment where everyone wanted us to be successful. It was really great.”
Both students expressed interest in continuing their studies next summer with SEA’s high school program in Southern California, entitled Oceanography of the Southern California Bight.
The Sea Education Association (SEA) has had a long relationship with Bermuda. The organization operates two ocean-going 140 ft sailing vessels specifically designed for ocean research in the Atlantic and, more recently, the Pacific.
The ‘Robert Seamans,’ the newest addition to the SEA fleet operates in the Pacific while the ‘Corwith Cramer’, operates in the Atlantic. The first SEA ship, The ‘Westward’ also traveled the Atlantic and initiated the Bermuda visits more than 2 decades ago.
SEA conducts several programs which includes the SEA Semester, a university level marine science program involving 6 weeks of intensive marine studies at their Woods Hole Campus, followed by 6 weeks of research aboard one of its two vessels. The 12 credits are issued through Boston University. SEA has also run a number of voyages with students from the marine science department at Stanford University. Approximately 12 Bermudians have participated in the Atlantic or Pacific SEA semester programs.
During the summer, the organization runs a high school marine science summer intensive program which involves 10 days of study at the campus, followed by 10 days at sea aboard one of the ships. This program, similar to the university program, is highly competitive and is available to students who have demonstrated academic excellence in science.
Kebir Gadio and Shaunte Young are the first Bermuda Students to participate and successfully complete the SEA High School course as a component of the Bermuda Center for Talented Youth (C.T.Y.) program. They received a full merit scholarship from C.T.Y. to attend the Science at SEA summer program in Woods Hole. It is hoped that as many as 25 C.T.Y. Students from Bermuda will have the opportunity to participate in the SEA summer program next year.
SEA has been committed to Bermuda for many years and has historically included local residents on its Board of Overseers. The two current local members are retired CD&P partner, Nicholas Dill and ACE Foundation-Bermuda’s Ralph Richardson.
Mr. Richardson commented: “I understand that both Kebir and Shaunte did very well in the program and I am delighted to see two of our youngest Bermudians represent Bermuda so well. This opportunity was afforded by the Center for Talented Youth and whether Kebir and Shaunte become Marine Scientists or not, their understanding of the importance of the oceans and its impact on their lives has increased exponentially as a result. These two young people will now take with them in whatever they do a healthy respect of the issues and policies surrounding Bermuda’s waters.”
C.T.Y. and SEA are working to provide 25 places next year for young Bermudian students in the summer program at Woods Hole. Ms. Riquette Bonne-Smith, the Executive Director of C.T.Y. in Bermuda stated: “I am very happy that Kebir and Shaunte did so well at SEA and had such a rewarding experience. They are two young Bermudians with a wealth of potential and I am happy when I see the positive results of our endeavors at C.T.Y. work so well. I am glad to have given them a chance to discover Science at SEA and a taste of a bigger world. I hope they can inspire others and be great ambassadors of C.T.Y..”
Pictured below is the SSV Corwith Cramer docking at 8am at Dyers Dock in Woods Hole on Aug 22nd 2010:
