educational outcomes in knowledge, attitude and behavior

Since 2003, Artist Boat, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Galveston, Texas, has been serving the environmental needs of the Galveston community. Artist Boat prides itself on promoting awareness and preservation of the coastal margins and marine environment through the disciplines of the arts and sciences. The NAS Place-Based Education (PBE) program, funded by the National Academies of Science (NAS) Gulf Research Program, is intended to provide a meaningful watershed experience with their peers, teachers, artists, and biologists, and the wilds of Galveston Bay estuary that will leave students with a more complete understanding of local environmental challenges and how to address them. Students are empowered, as individuals and as the next generation, to be informed members of their community who have the capacity to make the environmental changes needed to create a healthier planet for both people and wildlife. This is a place-based experiential learning program hosted in situ for the students of the Galveston Bay watershed. It is designed to locate students in the Galveston Bay area mentally and physically (via assessment tools, workshops, adventures, art, and action planning), to provide students with the knowledge and understanding of what this location means to them and our planet, to empower students to explore a place of natural significance by kayak, and to educate students about the power of their voice and view through art creation, field investigation, and implementation of their final action project. The following findings spans Year 1 and 2 of the external program evaluation of Artist Boat’s NAS PBE program. The overall program goal was for middle school students in the greater Houston area to have the knowledge, skills, and means to make environmental decisions for themselves and empowerment to better their communities.