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Bringing NASA Ocean Science to the Library Shelves

In 2026, libraries will host a NASA-themed ocean science activity designed for families and young learners. Through scavenger hunts, and hands-on learning moments, participants will explore how the ocean works, why tiny organisms like phytoplankton matter, and how NASA observes Earth from space through the PACE mission.

Small prizes await young explorers who complete the activity, making science discovery both fun and memorable.

The PACE team set up an outreach table at the Cleveland Park library in Washington, D.C. to kick off their scavenger hunt outreach program. Credit: NASA

Created by PACE interns

The PACE Scavenger Hunt was created by recent summer interns Ella Werdell and Christine Keedy Brown, who spent their internship researching, designing, and coordinating this activity with a shared goal: helping students understand the PACE mission and the ocean processes it studies.

Premise

Participants in the hunt are tasked with answering questions about phytoplankton. With a worksheet in hand, they search through the library answering questions about the tiny creatures PACE observations reveal.

Participants walked around the library looking for different phytoplankton friends. Credit: NASA

Debut at the Cleveland Park Library in Washington, DC.

The PACE scavenger hunt officially launched at the Cleveland Park Library in Washington, DC. Over the course of the month, 48 children participated in the activity, with librarians noting that even more may have taken part informally.

The enthusiasm quickly spread beyond the branch, with librarians sharing the program with colleagues across the library system and expressing interest in bringing the activity to additional locations.

PACE team members talking to patrons about the PACE scavenger hunt. Credit: NASA

Host with us:

Interested in hosting the PACE scavenger hunt? Downloads of materials are available here: (I’ll have this by end of week)

Contact: [email protected] for more information.