Community Corner
GED class gets rare tour of The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
On Tuesday, April 8th, 10 GED students from the Project Impact class of Family Resources Community Action went on a rare and exciting field trip. Staff of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) gave our students a rare behind the scenes tour of the WHOI facility, including one of their scientific expedition ships, The Knorr. For those of you that aren’t aware, The Knorr was the ship used by scientists of WHOI in the 1985 discovery of the Titanic and some of the first pieces of the wreckage were brought aboard that vessel. The Knorr is rarely docked as it is running scientific expeditions year round and it is even a rarer opportunity to be given a full tour of the vessel! The FRCA students were able to see the laboratories, sleeping quarters, galley, library and bridge of the ship, as well as meet with a WHOI biologist that has run expeditions for 30 years. Students were also given access to see the Deep Sea Challenger, a 1 person submarine built for James Cameron, the Director/Producer of the blockbuster movie, The Titanic. The tour also included access to the on-site Exhibit center and Aquarium where students learned about thermal vents on the ocean floor and the biosphere of marine animals that thrive within that unique environment. The students and staff of FRCA came away with a new found passion for deep sea exploration and an understanding of the ways science can be exciting, adventurous and profound.