Girls Inc. partners with NU marine lab to teach Lynners about ocean

LYNN – The girls of Girls Inc. learned all about marine biology on Monday at the Families by the Seaside event at Red Rock Park in Lynn. Marine biology will be a major theme this summer as Girls Inc. has partnered with the Northeastern University Marine Science Center for several events.?Our girls love this kind of stuff and are not afraid to get their hands dirty,” said staff member Vanessa Loeum as to why it was important to teach the girls about the ocean. “I would be in there with them but I am eight months pregnant,” joked Loeum.With the sun beaming, it was a perfect day for the girls to learn about the ocean. The event was slated for this past Saturday but, due to rain, was rescheduled. The girls stopped at various stations where they learned about the ocean, from tide pools to even touching real seaweed.Another reason why Girls Inc. leaders thought marine biology was an important lesson is to encourage their charges to go into a career of science when they are older.?Growing up, they didn?t have programs like this for girls. I was always told that I would be a wife or maybe a nurse but never a doctor or a scientist,” said Loeum. “Now it?s my turn to tell them that they can be doctors and scientists. They can be anything they want to be.”For 13-year-old Alisha Cruel the day by the sea sparked a potential career interest. “Maybe one day I can be a marine biologist,” said Cruel, a member of Girls Inc. for two years. “It is a fun way to meet new friends,” said Cruel.?I am so grateful that we are so accessible to all of this,” said Loeum. “It is their environment and one day they will be the ones taking care of it. It is important they learn about it.”Vu Lamb, a co-opt student from Northeastern, was teaching the girls about tide pools. “Its fun teaching them about the ocean,” said Lamb.?It exposes the girls to their neighborhood and the beach is right in their backyard,” said Girls Inc. Program Director of Elementary Schools Maria Manzueta. “It teaches them what is in the sea and not to pollute it.”Families by the Sea is one of many events the girls will be participating in this summer. They will also be going to the Marine Science Center?s lab in Nahant to learn how scientists investigate the ocean and, at the end of the summer, will make a presentation to their families and friends about what they learned.?Making them a good student isn?t just about teaching them what is in the ocean but also teaching them how to solve problems,” said Northeastern University Marine Science Center Director Carol McCauley. “Everyone should have access to the ocean, not just the ones that can afford it. It connects them to their community.”Besides learning about the ocean and the world around them, Girls Inc. provides a sense of home. “We are like their second family,” said Loeum. “In fact, I think they spend more time with us than their families.”