The Ocean Institute’s annual Girls in Ocean Science Conference for middle school and high school students will return to Dana Point in late April, offering girls interested in careers in ocean science an opportunity to convene at the Ocean Institute.
Registration is now open for this year’s Girls in Ocean Science conference, where professionals will share their experience with middle school students on April 22, and high school students on April 23.
Attendees will have the opportunity to work side-by-side with professionals in small groups at the Ocean Institute labs, located at 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, or at sea aboard the research vessel Sea Explorer.
Over the years, scientists from marine veterinary medicine, oceanography, marine biology, university-level education, ocean conservation, water quality engineering, ecology, microbiology, physiology and climatology have attended the conference, sharing their expertise with students.
Ocean Institute Board member Jennine Smith, who has sponsored Girls in Ocean Science scholarships for the past five years, said that the conference experience can be life changing.
“I believe Girls in Ocean Science is one of those experiences that can be a catalyst for great change,” Smith said in a media release. “By connecting female students to female scientists, GIOS has the potential to help inspire a career path, create new friendships, or just spark a lifelong sense of stewardship with the oceans and the creatures that live in it.”
The conference is volunteer driven by a planning committee of students who have participated in a prior conference.
San Clemente High School senior and Girls in Ocean Science planning committee member Naomi Villarete added that the conference “beautifully unites the next generation of scientists by introducing them to current professionals.”
“A truly unforgettable experience, the conference ignites a creativity to be reflected in the future of ocean science,” Villarete continued.
The conference is sponsored by the Steinmetz Foundation.
The Girls in Ocean Science conference runs from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The middle school program is on April 22 and the high school program is on April 23. Tickets are $70 and include a continental breakfast, lunch and committee-designed Girls in Ocean Science T-shirt.