Real Students. Real Science.

Vital Signs is a field-based science education program that builds on the knowledge and skills that students gain as 5^th or 6^th graders in the Cohen Center for Interactive Learning.

Vital Signs links 7^th and 8^th grade students and scientists in the rigorous collection and analysis of essential environmental data across freshwater and coastal ecosystems. Innovative technology, relevant content, and critical partnerships create an authentic science learning experience for students, a distributed data gathering network for scientists, and a statewide community of teachers, students, and scientists collaborating to learn about and steward the Gulf of Maine watershed.

Our vision is for students and scientists to be partners in a collaborative, service-learning effort to study local aquatic environments. Vital Signs promises to:

• Provide students an authentic science experience that enhances learning , empowers students as citizen scientists, and raises aspirations for science careers;
• Collect data on a comprehensive, frequent basis to assist scientists and resource managers in monitoring the health of aquatic ecosystems statewide; and
• Build a replicable open source technology system that facilitates citizen participation in environmental research and improves public access to information on human and natural communities.

The Vital Signs education experience is carefully designed to give students an opportunity to learn science as though they are real scientists. Students use the same scientific process, protocols, field equipment, and technology tools that scientists use to study ecosystems and to share their findings. This authentic research-based approach to science education challenges students to think critically about their local ecosystems, offer creative solutions to real environmental issues, and develop essential communication skills.

Future.

Vital Signs intends to be flexible and responsive to scientific and educational need. In past years, the program has focused on water quality monitoring in Maine and riparian habitat monitoring in the border region between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Currently the program addresses invasive species monitoring in the Gulf of Maine watershed. In subsequent years, the program will address additional issues of statewide, regional, and global concern