PHILANTHROPY'S IMPACT : FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE BLUE ECONOMY

Capturing. Educating. Immersing.

These pillars define the mission of GenSea, a collaborative effort at The University of Southern Mississippi to build bridges connecting high school students and teachers to the Blue Economy through immersive field experiences and internships. Led by the Center for STEM Education and the School of Ocean Science and Engineering, GenSea is thriving thanks to generous support from a Mississippi foundation.

Robert M. Hearin was a prominent figure in banking, oil refining, natural gas distribution and insurance in Mississippi. He served as the president and CEO and co-owner of Mississippi Valley Gas before passing away in 1990. Hearin’s initial Foundation was established in 1965. Following his death, the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation was formed as an independent nonprofit foundation based in Jackson, Miss., whose principal goal is to contribute to the overall economic advancement of Mississippi.

Seeing the potential of the GenSea initiative, the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation provided initial funding to pilot GenSea and has now invested in a second year of funding. To date, their investment in GenSea is $758,000. The program has introduced more than 1,000 high school students and teachers to coastal career paths thus far, ranging from port operations to marine engineering.

“The Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation is pleased with the impact we are seeing with this program,” said a trustee of the Foundation. “GenSea aligns with our principal goals by giving youth along the Gulf Coast opportunities to explore the vast career opportunities right in their Mississippi hometowns.”

GenSea program manager, Tara Skelton, works with school districts and teachers to coordinate field experiences. “I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done in the program’s first year, and I look forward to increasing the number of teachers and students who can participate in the years to come,” Skelton said. “We are working on expanding our field trip offerings to include second-tier experiences, which are designed for groups who’ve completed an introductory field trip and want to go more in-depth on a subject like ocean engineering or hydrography. We’ve also partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of the Gulf Coast to expose teen members to blue economy careers.”

Trena Attipoe, an engineering teacher at Long Beach High School, describes her experience attending a GenSea workshop: “My expectations for the GenSea workshop were surpassed, and I learned so much each day. Hearing about the coastal industry is not the same as experiencing it yourself. When I toured the Ocean Aero facility, I was elated! I had no clue what it took to make an underwater drone beforehand. The people I met during developmental training were so passionate about their expertise. It inspired me to take the knowledge and enthusiasm I gained that day back to my classroom.”

This program increases awareness of coastal opportunities for high school students, including trips, workshops and student internships. Areas of study include hydrography, ocean engineering, computer ocean modeling, marine biology and aquaculture. Professional development courses for teachers are also crucial, equipping them with confidence and the resources necessary for success.

Support from the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation allows for planning, developing and implementing such an experiential educational experience. “We are working to reach as many students around the state as possible, realizing not everyone is geographically close enough to make an in-person field trip,” Skelton explains. “With the philanthropic support we have received, we have also created a video series for students and teachers that can be accessed online.”

In addition to their support of GenSea, the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation continues to provide numerous educational opportunities through scholarships for Southern Miss students. In 2022, $175,000 was donated through the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation Annual Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to full-time undergraduate students, bringing their total support to USM to more than $4.4 million.

Thanks to the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation’s philanthropy, GenSea continues to grow, enabling the future of the Mississippi Gulf Coast to reach new heights, impacting the region and the world through its discoveries.