The Alabama Gulf Coast Resiliency Project: Sustainability, Full STEAMM Ahead is a newly funded (via the Gulf Research Program) K–8 place‑based education (PBE) initiative led by Gulf Shores City Schools (GSCS) that uses the Alabama Gulf Coast as a living laboratory to advance community resilience and environmental literacy through immersive, field-based learning. Over three years, the initiative will scale in scope and reach—focusing in Year 1 on GSCS students and teachers, expanding in Year 2 to train educators from neighboring under-resourced schools, and culminating in Year 3 with regional student participation and the launch of a Gulf Coast Sustainability Symposium for middle grades students and teachers.

This project builds on GSCS’s prior successes in place-based outdoor learning, dune and shoreline restoration, oyster gardening, environmental and marine science fieldwork, scuba/biking/sailing/kayaking for STEAMM learning, and workforce-aligned STEAMM pathways—expanding these efforts into a comprehensive, vertically aligned K–8 model. In-school and out-of-school instruction will be integrated through watershed monitoring, reef and shoreline restoration, renewable energy projects, and culturally grounded lessons in Indigenous coastal knowledge and civil rights history. Students will engage in inquiry-driven projects while teachers participate in field-based training, collaborative planning, and embedded coaching to ensure sustained impact and instructional excellence.

The presentation will highlight our PBE framework, key partnerships, and enhanced resources—including water safety and scuba training, water quality testing tools, and sailing-based STEAMM instruction—and share lessons learned about implementation and scaling in high-poverty and rural districts. We’ll also explore our strategies for increasing student agency, ensuring equity of access, and measuring impact on scientific literacy, stewardship identity, and civic engagement.

By showcasing an Alabama Gulf‑centered PBE initiative grounded in both innovation and local tradition, this session contributes to regional dialogue on how place-based learning can cultivate the next generation of environmental leaders prepared to protect and sustain the Gulf’s ecological and cultural heritage.