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Students Think Like Stakeholders to Find Solutions to Marine Debris

JUNE 16, 2017--On June 6, The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) participated in the annual Symposium to Advance Research (tjSTAR) at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, VA.

Thomas Jefferson is magnet school that provides specialized education for science and technology students in Northern Virginia. During tjSTAR, students present on research they have conducted during the school year and also have the opportunity to interact with and hear presentations from representatives of diverse science and technology businesses, organizations, and agencies. Staff from the MDP gave a presentation that broadly introduced students to NOAA and described the challenges of marine debris in the marine and Great Lakes environment, as well as how the MDP is working to address this issue both locally and globally.

Following the presentation, students were split into small groups and assigned to one of the following stakeholder groups: government, business, scientists, and citizens. Students brainstormed ways in which their particular stakeholder group could address marine debris and then shared their top ideas with the rest of the class and discussed. Some solutions included local bag or plastic fees, development of biodegradable consumer products, and waste reduction initiatives in schools. Just recently, Thomas Jefferson has switched from Styrofoam to cardboard lunch trays in the cafeteria, a change that students worked hard to accomplish.

For additional information, please contact: Jennafer.Malek@noaa.gov.

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Woman gives presentation beside screen with image.
MDP staff described how NOAA is working to address marine debris. Image credit: NOAA.
Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:52pm PST