Awareness of Erosion, Flooding, and Building Development on Sullivan’s Island

Abstract

"The following study is an in depth analysis to examine the awareness that high schoolers had on an important local environmental issue. Students of a local suburban high school were rated on their knowledge of erosion, flooding, and building development issues on Sullivan’s Island, a nearby barrier island. A mixed-method approach was taken. Students were asked to rate their awareness of specific topics relevant to the environment and the island on a scale of 1 through 10. Certain students were then chosen to elaborate on these results via interviews. This study found that students were somewhat aware of erosion, flooding, and development on Sullivan’s Island, an important part of their community. Students could name the definitions of erosion, flooding, and development and were able to recognize that these problems are interconnected and important. However, students were not able to go into detail regarding these environmental processes and could not give specifics as to why the current frequency of these processes are bad for the environment on Sullivan's Island. This study in the social science discipline shows that there is lots of room for improvement in the realm of environmental education and awareness."