Beginning this month, students from the A.P. Lutali Elementary School from Aunu’u and Leone Midkiff Elementary School will take part in a student exchange program to learn, discover, and understand Sanctuaries within their areas - together.

The activities are being hosted by NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa, as part of their “Get Into Your Sanctuary” (GIYS) program.

This month, students from A.P. Lutali Elementary will experience and explore Fagatele Bay, while their counterparts from Leone Midkiff will join them next month on a learning tour of Aunu’u Island.

According to the NMSAS, “Peer to peer learning for greater stewardship is to be achieved”.

The GYIS Student Exchange “allows local elementary and high school students to learn and immerse themselves into places they may have never had the change to visit. Aside from exploring the NMSAS sites, students will also participate in a site clean-up to promote the imporatnce of protecting our sanctuaries and keeping them well-maintained for future generations”.

The first “CARE FOR YOUR SANCTUARY" student exchange was scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 19th from 9:30 a.m. to 12noon.

A bus in Auasi was to pick up ten students from A.P. Lutali Elementary (Aunu'u) at 8 a.m. From there, the bus will pick up another ten students from Leone Midkiff before heading out to Fagatele Bay.

On April 13th, students from A.P. Lutali will host ten Leone Midkiff students in Aunu'u.

Next Thursday, March 26, the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa will take students from Leone Midkiff on an Ed-Venture Tour.

Those interested in being part of this wonderful adventure can call Isabel at 633-6500 for more information.