NASSAU, Bahamas -- The U.S. Coast Guard joined representatives from the U.S. National Weather Service and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Friday, May 25, in an interactive presentation designed to teach valuable lessons about weather safety and science. Nearly 400 students representing primary schools throughout New Providence packed the Atlantis Theater for an afternoon filled with dynamic visual displays and the opportunity to take part in a science-focused computer game featuring Owlie, the mascot of the Young Meteorologist Program (YMP).

With the start of the official hurricane season on June 1, U.S. Coast Guard representatives Lieutenant Eleanor Garcia and Lieutenant Karin Evelyn emphasized that everyone needs to part in preparing for a major storm before it strikes. The Coast Guard Officers encouraged the children to talk to their parents about their family’s hurricane plan, which should include having sufficient supplies, such as water, non-perishable food, flashlights and batteries on hand throughout the hurricane season.

Today, P!N’s cutting-edge program portfolio includes scholarships and public awareness campaigns that help individuals and communities in the United States and Caribbean prepare for natural and human-made disasters. The YMP event held in The Bahamas on May 25 was made possible through the support of local sponsors, Sidley Austin LLP and the Atlantis, Paradise Island and a partnership with the Michael Douglas and Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament, which raised funding for YMP through the Motion Picture & Television Fund.