Youth ECO-Meet 2019

Summary

The Central Savannah River Area Environmental Science Education Cooperative (ESEC) is a variety of governmental, private and nonprofit groups committed to environmental education. All members are volunteers and meet monthly to share ideas on ways to educate youth about various environmental subjects. The ESEC group held an annual ECO-Meet as an environmental science competition for area middle schoolers. Students from four counties in South Carolina and 7 counties in Georgia were invited to participate in the event. The event was held in North Augusta, South Carolina in November of 2019. An evaluation was taken at the conclusion of the event culminating in positive results.

Situation

With education systems pushing programming that promotes STEM learning, Central Savannah River Area educators from counties in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) solicited outside sources to help with this science, technology, engineering and math curriculum. One of the goals of the ESEC group was to enrich STEM education and give middle school children a hands-on event to showcase major issues that exist in our local environment. ESEC sanctioned the ECO-Meet in 2003 as a fun and educational contest to engage area 6th-8th graders in this science and environmental learning experience. The event is held in different outdoor environmental centers each year which enables the students to experience local natural areas from which they can enjoy the great outdoors.

Response

Led by the UGA Richmond County Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension agent, the ESEC group hosted the ECO-Meet competition in North Augusta, South Carolina. Each team consisted of four youth in grades 6th-8th from various schools in the Central Savannah River Area. To prepare for the contest, six of the member organizations from the ESEC prepared a learning package related to a subject that each organization promoted as a mission. Each team was provided with the study guides two months before ECO-Meet. The six learning modules were prepared by Silver Bluff Audubon Society, US Corp of Engineers, Fort Gordon Wildlife Management, North Augusta Water Department, Phinizy Swamp Nature Park and UGA Augusta-Richmond County Extension. On the day of the event, a test was given to each team at an outdoor workstation hosted by the six ESEC members that prepared the study packets.

Impact

Organized by Richmond County Extension, the 2019 ECO-Meet hosted 31 teams (124 youth) consisting of 19 area middle schools with 42 volunteers to help with the event. The venue in North Augusta, SC was donated by the City of North Augusta at a value of $1,750. A local restaurant donated meals for all 124 participants and 42 volunteers at a value of $950. Breakfast was donated by the Augusta Area Master Gardeners at a value of $135. The GIS team from Columbia County also hosted a drone demonstration after lunch. ECO-Meet volunteers contributed a total of 294 volunteer hours on the day of the competition. All contestants in ECO-Meet were surveyed about their experience of the overall competition as well as their assessment of the learning module built by Richmond County Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources. 70% of the youth participants either strongly agreed or agreed that the study packets helped them in school. 50% of all participants stated they studied a lot for ECO-Meet.

State Issue

Sustainability, Conservation, & the Environment

Details

• Year: 2020
• Geographic Scope: Multi-State/Regional
• County: Richmond
• Location: College Station, Athens
• Program Areas:
  • Agriculture & Natural Resources