As the 2023-2024 school year begins, we are proud to announce funding from Palmetto Dunes Cares which will allow us to offer scholarships once again to two area middle school science teachers and up to 50 their students for a field day at Port Royal Sound Foundation’s Maritime Center on the Chechessee River. This exciting opportunity honors one of the founding members of Hilton Head Audubon, Barry Lowes, a great educator of young and old, who devoted his life to instilling the love of nature and the natural world to everyone with whom he came in contact.
Here’s a chance for your students to engage in the exploration of our local unique environment and to enjoy the Maritime Center’s activities free of charge. The PRSFMC features exhibits, live animals, and both indoor and outdoor hands-on educational opportunities. If you are unfamiliar with the Maritime Center, visit their website at portroyalsoundfoundation.org. Click and scroll to find Explore field trips, which lists the options from which you may select those most suited to your class. Additionally, winners of the Barry Lowes Scholarship can enjoy the educational cruise aboard the Salty Dog at no extra charge. Many of the options come with teacher resource guides.
Now is the chance for you and your students to experience this remarkable resource at no cost. You may choose up to 3 activities from their menu. You have a maximum of $850.00 to spend, plus the free excursion aboard the Salty Dog. This should allow enough money to also cover the cost of transportation. Audubon and the PRFMC will work with the winning teachers to ensure that we stay with the budget allotted. Your trip must be completed before Friday April 12, 2024.
We encourage all middle school science teachers to enter. The pool of teachers is small, and your chances of winning are good. Just like the lottery, if you don’t enter you can’t win, and somebody’s got to win.
How do we select the winning teachers? Those who successfully complete and return the application by the deadline, names will be placed in a lottery and the President of Hilton Head Audubon will draw the names at our November Board Meeting. Applications should be postmarked by Oct 20, 2023. Address to:
Jane Hester
8 Palmetto Beach Drive
Bluffton, SC 29910