• Our Partners

 The University of Southern Mississippi is a multi-campus, comprehensive doctoral research extensive university. The College of Science and Technology (COST) is one of  the largest colleges on campus, with 170 faculty, 2,600 undergraduate majors, and 500 graduate students. The college is active in research activities, generating $37 million in external funds. COST is comprised of, among others, departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Coastal Sciences, Economic and Workforce Development, Geography and Geology, Marine Science, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy; the Center for Science and Mathematics Education; and the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL).

The Chevron Pascagoula Refinery is located in the  Pascagoula School District and employs many of the parents of the WetKids. They have been an active partner in the community providing both financial support and human resources to preserve area wildlife habitats and have provided professional development for teachers through the MS Master Naturalist program. Chevron also welcomes hundreds of students to the refinery each year to tour and learn about the facilities. And in June 2006 Chevron gave $18,000,000 to the Gulf Coast public schools.

The Pascagoula School District's mission is to “produce globally competitive graduates by inspiring them to reach their maximum potential through rigorous, innovative learning experiences in concert with our diverse coastal resources and unified communities.” Wayne Rodolfich, the district superintendent, received the Terrel H. Bell Award for School Leadership from the U.S. Department of Education for his work in construction of a wetlands-based education program which included the construction of outdoor laboratories for hands-on STEM teaching and learning. Rodolfich recently replaced Dr. Hank Bounds who now serves as the MS State Superintendent of Education. Over the past few years PSD, with 56% of the students eligible for free or reduced lunch and a diverse student body, has documented dramatic increases in student achievement with two National Blue Ribbon High Schools.

The Bay Waveland School District is “dedicated to teaching with the expectation that all will read, write, think, compute, speak well, love the arts, and behave in socially acceptable ways in order to become economically independent contributing members of society.” Similar to PSD, many of the district’s schools are bordered by wetlands. Dr. Ladner, the new district superintendent is strongly committed to the sciences and environmental education.

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service is located just down the road from the Pascagoula School District office. The NOAA Fisheries Lab provides opportunities such as tours of the NOAA ships in port and their lab facilities, conducts shark dissections with the WetKids, and trains students on diving technology.

Pascagoula River Audubon Center (PRAC) is directed by Dr. Mark LaSalle. Dr. LaSalle has also taught all of the WetKids teachers in the Teacher Master Naturalists program. PRAC has also hosted and facilitated the WetKids Summer Academy program for middle school students. All of the new WetKids teachers go through the program, and Dr. LaSalle offers the Coastal Wetlands Diversity Workshop for those teachers in year 2 of WetKids or beyond who have completed the Master Naturalist Program.

The Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center hosts Camp Leonardo in Ocean Springs each summer. The Summer of 2010 will allow 200 students to attend a week of camp during the month of July.

Northern Gulf Institute is a NOAA cooperative institute comprised of five institutions: The University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Louisiana State University, Florida State University, and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Their education and outreach arm helps communicate and distribute information about the Project WetKids teachers and students to their constituencies, encourages their scientists to participate in WetKids activities, and provides a forum for WetKids teachers and students to present at their annual meeting.

Northrop Grumman Corporation.  A group of their engineers made a presentation after school to the WetKids, giving them a hands-on experience to learn about ship design. WetKids have also toured the Shipyard to see construction from the raw steel to “ship shape.”

The Live Oak Alliance of Mississippi (LOAM) located in Hancock County is working to coordinate a comprehensive community-wide green program between existing civic organizations, using a multi-pronged approach that includes economic, arts, educational and recreational elements. LOAM spearheaded the recycling program in the Hancock County schools and is working with the National Park Service to establish a bike and walking path through the county. Project WetKids participants will plant indigenous species along the path and monitor their growth.

The NASA John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) houses the long-term USM marine science research facilities in Hancock County. The SSC offers their educational programs for the WetKids teachers, students, and families extending their existing programs offered through the Stennis Educator Resource Center. The GLOBE Training (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) for teachers, focuses on weather, changing water temperatures, and their impact on wetlands habitats.