The Emerging Scientist Project (ESP) connects high school classrooms with local NOAA resources to expose students to oceanic and atmospheric research in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The program encourages students to pursue scientific careers and challenges them to seek local solutions to problems facing the Bay.

ESP has been used by biology, environmental science, and other science teachers to assist in teaching standards and concepts while actively engaging their students in local environmental issues.This flexible program is designed to be carried out over the course of one semester during normally scheduled classes.  Schools participate in ESP through one or more of the following ways:

Student Programs

• NOAA staff visit schools to assist teachers with interactive lessons about the Chesapeake Bay.  Concepts such as watersheds, water quality, nutrient pollution, and stormwater runoff are taught via presentations, live demonstrations, and hands-on experiments.
• Classes visit the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center campus in Edgewater Maryland to take part in a day of field work with NOAA and Smithsonian scientists. Students participate in data collection onboard research vessels, in laboratories, even in the middle of a forest, all to get a first-hand view of how research is conducted.
• For even more in-depth learning, students participate in watershed science research projects. Topics can be chosen by students or recommended by NOAA staff, who also provide resources and connect students to scientists working on those topics. Students share the results of their research with their classmates and scientists through in-class presentations.

Teacher Training & Support

• Teachers receive materials, lesson plans, and plenty of support from NOAA and Smithsonian educators throughout their involvment in the program. They are also provided access to scientists to answer questions and scientific equipment to use in their classroom.
• ESP staff conduct a multi-day summer training for high school science teachers who are interested in learning more about the watershed and incorporating Chesapeake Bay into their lessons. The training is equally suited for teachers with years of Bay experience under their belt and for those just getting acquainted with the watershed. Trainings include activities such as sampling for submerged aquatic vegetation from canoes, analyzing water quality from upland and tidal sources, and taking research cruises to sample local fish populations.

To learn more about this exciting program, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .