Engaging High School Students as Collaborators in Ecological Investigation of the Columbia River Estuary: Lessons from a Transdisciplinary University–High School Partnership

Abstract   The Columbia River Estuary Science Education and Outreach (CRESCENDO) project was a university–high school partnership between Washington State University (WSU) researchers and science teachers and students from five high schools located in southwest Washington, adjacent to the Columbia River Estuary (CRE). The CRESCENDO project explicitly integrated ecological research with science education research that assessed how high school students’ participation in university-sponsored research impacted their knowledge of CRE ecology and their attitudes about science and stewardship. From October 2016 to September 2018, CRESCENDO teachers and students measured water quality and conducted plankton tows from a dock near each of their schools every month. Each May, the CRESCENDO participants (WSU scientists, science educators, high school teachers, and students from each school) convened a Research Symposium to interpret the results. Here, we describe the project design and outcomes to illustrate the lessons learned from CRESCENDO and provide recommendations for developing future university–high school partnerships focused on locally relevant environmental problems.