Outreach activities

The VTAC is visited by many hundreds of people each and every year. These visits include scientists and industry representatives, researchers and Virginia Tech Alumni, children's groups from schools, scouts and other clubs and societies, home schooled children, entrepreneurs and others. Not surprisingly, the VTAC is thus deeply engaged and committed to a wide variety of outreach and extension activities. The following provides a brief overview of some of these and highlights those that are intimate to the VTAC Mission and Vision Statement.

 

Education

Each year staff and faculty of the VTAC host kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school children for educational trips and as a means to provide the local community with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the aquaculture industry and its benefits to the Commonwealth, nation, and globe. The Center is used to demonstrate that aquaculture can provide safe and wholesome foods in an environmentally sustainable manner. Because the VTAC concentrates upon recirculating life support systems, the conservation and responsible management of our water resources and the value of aquaculture as a means of sustaining endangered populations of aquatic organisms are also highlighted. An emphasis is placed upon positive aspects of the industry but we also provide a balanced view and point to the problems, environmental and otherwise, that the industry presently faces and how researchers at Virginia Tech, and elsewhere, are taking up these challenges to ensure sustainability of this globally vital industry.

 

The VTAC also provides local schools with technical assistance in developing and maintaining their own recirculation systems and makes presentations and information leaflets freely available. Each year the VTAC also hosts Governor's school students – the best academic achievers from high schools around the Commonwealth of Virginia - to work on group activities. Last year, our Governor's school aquaculture group came in first overall for their research and presentations.