Silver Lakes Middle School

10 feet above sea level

Silver Lakes Middle School, a STEM magnet school in North Lauderdale serving 878 students, became one of the participating schools in Broward County to join the ‘Underwater: Broward’ initiative. With its campus sitting at just 10 feet above sea level, the school now hosts a powerful elevation mural by artist Xavier Cortada, transforming a simple number into a conversation starter and a call to action for climate awareness.

As a school whose mission centers on preparing students to meet tomorrow’s global challenges in science, technology, engineering and math within a safe and civil environment, Silver Lakes Middle was a natural fit for this climate education initiative. The Dolphins’ commitment to STEM education made the intersection of art, science, and environmental awareness particularly meaningful for their community.

Interactive Climate Assembly

During the school assembly, students learned how sea level rise is already impacting South Florida, and how understanding elevation can help us build more resilient communities. The session was hands-on and participatory. Students took part in an interactive art workshop where they created personalized Underwater yard signs to display at home, each one marking their home’s elevation.

Activating Awareness

To further support student participation and excitement, we distributed:

  • Underwater T-shirts to students who asked or answered questions during the assembly

  • “HELLO my elevation is” stickers for students to personalize and wear proudly

  • Elevation Cards with QR codes linking to tools for finding home elevation and learning more about sea level rise

Silver Lakes Middle School students demonstrated curiosity, creativity, and leadership. They showed that with the right tools, today’s youth can shape tomorrow’s climate solutions. Their participation adds another vital chapter in the growing Underwater Project story across South Florida schools.