Two years ago, I suggested a "School of Marine Science" on the Foss. I wrote:

Locate Tacoma's High Tech High in two buildings: The Foss Waterway Seaport and the Urban Waters facility. Students would learn about hard sciences with a focus on marine biology, marine chemistry, meteorology, climatology … and they could work with researchers in those fields at both institutes. They could add nautical science credits through piloting a small boat the school would run for research in Commencement Bay. And classrooms could still teach them calculus/web programming and other "tech" stuff.

This was inspired by my own science education with the Marine Chemistry program at Bellarmine and the sailing and research I did with SEA. With SOTA SAMI (here's an article I wrote about that in April for the Volcano) I thought Tacoma was getting close. But it turns out, the Foss Waterway Seaport is doing something similar. I heard about this last night at the City Club social we had at the Seaport celebrating new members.

From a July press release:

Mickali, a junior at Gates School in Tacoma, and 28 other sophomores, juniors and teachers from four area high school marine biology programs participated in the first excursion under the Seaport’s new Marine & Environmental Science Initiative in partnership with Salish Sea Expeditions of Bainbridge Island.

The excursion gave students a hands–on, inquiry–based way to learn science and use critical thinking and problem solving to work effectively in groups. Throughout the June 8–10 trip, the students were given progressively greater responsibility to run the ship and conduct experiments.

"Hands-on, inquiry-based" science education is so powerful. How great that local high school students got to do this.