Bringing Seaweed Cultivation into the Classroom: A Case Study in Rural Alaska Journal of STEM Outreach

Seaweed farming is a nascent and rapidly growing industry in the United States, particularly in Alaska. The harvest and consumption of seaweed has been practiced by Native communities in coastal Alaska since time immemo- rial, but more recently, challenges to the sustainable harvest of seaweed in Alaska have appeared. This collaborative project between NOAA Fisheries researchers and rural and urban classrooms in Alaska aimed to involve students and communities in seaweed education and cultivation with the three primary goals of 1) community engagement, 2) culturally responsive place-based education, and 3) promoting food sovereignty. We developed and implemented STEAM lessons detailing the life cycle, physiology, and cultural importance of red seaweed, and classroom activities including a word search, seaweed pressing instructions, and a mobile aquaculture unit assembly and maintenance guide. This work can inform other organi- zations and classrooms interested in culturally responsive place-based education to increase community engagement and inclusiveness in STEAM opportunities, especially as they relate to marine education.