Situated in a meeting room overlooking the Mississippi River, six project directors and their evaluators gathered at the Tulane River and Coastal Center in New Orleans, Louisiana as part of the first peer learning meeting for the Gulf Research Program (GRP). Held in early October 2024, this meeting served as a platform for the 2022 cohort of Empowering K-8 Youth Through Place-Based Education grantees to present the outcomes of their projects and share insights from their evaluations.  

The projects were funded through a $1 million grant from GRP to engage underserved children and youth in place-based educational activities that foster the development of scientific and environmental knowledge and skills critical to solving complex issues. Place-based learning is grounded in students’ local settings, including their physical environment, culture, and history. The awarded programs covered topics such as understanding the causes of and solutions to flooding in Louisiana communities, gathering environmental quality data in a local Mississippi estuary, and conserving sea turtle populations off the coast of Florida.  

The meeting was structured to encourage connections across projects and stimulate discussion. Many grantees expressed interest in continuing to share resources and ideas beyond the meeting, with some planning to collaborate on future projects. Presenters shared insights into how their project improved student scientific and environmental literacy as well as generated excitement and enthusiasm for their work. The grantees also shared challenges they faced, such as logistical barriers like getting approval for youth to explore local waterways on guided boat tours.  

A unique aspect of the meeting was the inclusion of evaluators, who mentioned they are often excluded from these types of meetings. They discussed the qualitative and quantitative methodologies used to assess the projects. “It is amazing to see evaluation (and including evaluators in the convo) included and resourced in such a meaningful way,” said one participant.  

The grantees highlighted the impact of the funding on their organizations, with one saying, “if it weren't for GRP, we probably would not have had the chance to expand our ‘reach’ to other schools, some of which we've never worked with before.”  

The discussions and connections that occurred at the October meeting demonstrate the role that peer learning can play in fostering collaboration and ongoing dialogue among educators to ensure the continued success and expansion of transformative educational practices.