Around Horizon Science Academy Cincinnati, Scott Gates is known as the “crazy shark guy.”
It’s an endearing moniker for the science teacher who has spent the last 33 years sharing his unmatched passion for environmentalism with his students. So when Gates came across an opportunity to apply for a scholarship at the Bimini Sharklab, which is highly-regarded for its groundbreaking research on marine conservation, he had to go for it.
Surely enough, Gates’ application was accepted and he was able to spend a week wading through Bimini’s seagrass meadows and exploring marine life with educators across North America.
“I loved the experience because I got to be an ambassador for Horizon Science Academy and Concept Schools,” Gates said. “I had conversations with teachers who came from across the continent which was super cool. To be able to talk with them about our district and school and hear them talk about their school and kids, that was pretty awesome.
“It was nice to be able to get the school’s name out there with all the great things happening at Horizon Science Academy.”
The course in Bimini, an island in the Bahamas located 46 miles across the Gulf Stream from Miami, kept all of the scholars busy throughout the week. Each day, they would start off listening to a three-hour lecture from a guest speaker going over the intricacies of the 1,260 different species of sharks and rays. Class then moved into the water. During one day, the group snorkeled with Caribbean Reef Sharks and hiked to see a lemon shark.
Some of the sharks were five to seven feet tall, which was nerve-racking for some of the scholars who hadn’t been up close to them before. Gates, who described the program as a “summer camp for a 56 year old,” did not have the same trepidation as a lifelong admirer of marine life and the dangers that comes with it.
“The field work was amazing,” Gates said. “It’s probably the number one thing at the top of my list. There were a lot of components of the lectures that were interesting but the whole trip was memorable for me.”
After a week of absorbing new information about marine life and working in the field, Gates is currently figuring out how to implement what he learned in Bimini back into his classroom. He is planning on replicating an activity he participated in where his students can analyze 3-D sharks, which he is in the process of creating for them.
Gates, who won Concept Schools Teacher of the Year at the middle school level this past spring, has a second-to-none commitment to getting the most out of his students. His enthusiasm and dedication to garnering a deeper understanding of environmental conservation is one of the many reasons he was an obvious pick to be a part of this year’s shark lab course in Bimini.
“(Teachers) are always looking to support kids and help them find that spark–that thing that interests them,” Gates said. “By presenting things and experiences like this, we can hopefully create some sparks for our kids.”