Coral Reefs Assessment and Education: San Pedro, Belize, and Northampton, MA; Coral Ed-Ventures Project, San Pedro, Belize

Elementary school students in Belize, along with pupils in Northampton schools, are gaining a real appreciation of this formidable yet fragile Caribbean marine environment. Through classroom study and field research, the children are familiarizing themselves with the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. Smith College students launched the program in the Caribbean, working in collaboration with the Hol Chan Marine Reserve on Ambergris Cay. Then they introduced it to two Northampton schools. Lessons focus on the importance of the reef to the Belize economy and an exploration of Central American ocean life.