Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park was presented the Outstanding Community Partner Award by the Florida Marine Science Educators Association (FMSEA). The award was presented to Director of Education, Sarah Norton, on April 29th at the 2023 Annual Conference in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Friends of MacArthur Beach (Friends) received the award for their leadership and strong commitment to supporting marine science and conservation outside of the classroom through their education program, teacher workshops, the Junior Friends Program, and their Citizen Science Marine Debris Program.
“Congratulations to Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park for winning FMSEA’s Outstanding Community Partner Award this year,” said Sarah Egner, FMSEA Board President. “This award was established to recognize the importance of engaging students in real-time marine science and ocean conservation to enhance learning, build career readiness and instill lifelong ocean stewardship. As Friends educates students each year via experiential, hands-on environmental education programs as well as through their virtual programming and summer camps, they are very much deserving of this award in 2023.”
In 2001, Friends made a dedicated effort to support marine science and environmental education, launching our education program at the Park, free to all Palm Beach County students. The Environmental Education Program provides experiential science instruction and activities to educate, excite, and involve students, teachers, and visitors. Friends host more than 5,000 Palm Beach County Students annually and connect virtually with more than 10,000 students through monthly virtual field trips.
“We are honored to receive this award from the Florida Marine Science Educators Association,” said Veronica Frehm, Executive Director of Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park. “As a community partner we are committed to educating visitors and students about the wonders of our park through marine science and nonformal education services. From having a student see the ocean for the first time, to having them contribute to a scientific study that gets published, our goal is to give students the power to make positive impacts in their future. The world-changing possibilities and outcomes of marine science are boundless and we are thrilled to be able to offer these opportunities on a daily basis.”
About FMSEA: Founded in 1968, FMSEA is a professional association of individuals and organizations devoted to the cause of marine education in Florida. They offer workshops and host an annual conference in locations throughout Florida and field experiences to the diverse marine ecosystems of our state. They are a regional chapter of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA), an organization that brings together those interested in the study and enjoyment of the world of water, both fresh and salt.
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, Palm Beach County’s only state park, is situated on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Lake Worth Lagoon. The Park is made up of 436 acres of pristine coastal land and contains four different communities or habitats including seven species of plants and 22 species of animals on the endangered or threatened list. For more information about MacArthur Beach State Park visit, macarthurbeach.org.
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