COSEE Ocean Communities in Education and social Networks (OCEAN) is a collaboration between the University of Massachusetts, the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), the New York Hall of Science, and Boston Public Schools. Supporting partners include the Lawrence Hall of Science and COSEE China. Evaluation is being conducted by the Program Evaluation Research Group (PERG) at Lesley University. The COSEE OCEAN PI is Bob Chen (UMass Boston), and co-PIs are Arthur Eisenkraft (UMass Boston), Adrienne Sponberg (ASLO), Alan Friedman (New York Hall of Science), and Pam Pelletier (Boston Public Schools).
COSEE OCEAN will use existing social and professional relationships to strategically engage ocean scientists in education and outreach activities by offering them professional development opportunities at annual ASLO meetings and connecting them to COSEE Network activities. COSEE OCEAN will efficiently leverage these existing networks to expand and enhance a two-way exchange of innovation, experience, educational products, professional development models and best practices between COSEE and mainstream science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) formal and informal education communities. COSEE OCEAN aims to reach all ocean scientists, to target under-represented minority students in urban school districts, and to form connections between existing educational networks.
Our vision is that within three years, ocean scientists will be more aware of and have access to education and outreach opportunities within the COSEE Network; the COSEE Network will be able to exchange knowledge and resources with other STEM programs nationwide; informal education institutions will have increased their capacity to address public ocean literacy; and a model for implementing a high quality ocean curriculum in diverse, urban school districts will be established.
There are three main
goals of COSEE OCEAN:
- To engage more ocean scientists in high quality education and outreach opportunities provided by the COSEE Network,
- To deliver high quality ocean science instructional materials to a diverse audience in a large urban school district, and
- To promote Ocean Literacy through a network of informal science education institutions and individuals.
The overall approach of the COSEE OCEAN thematic center is to leverage existing networks and communities by strategically investing COSEE OCEAN resources. By supporting the connectivity between people and resources, COSEE OCEAN will act catalytically and in a sustainable fashion.
Some of the COSEE OCEAN proposed activities include:
- Engaging ocean scientists through workshops at ASLO meetings
- Facilitating adoption of ocean science curriculum by Boston Public Schools
- Engaging networks of informal science educators
- Linking the COSEE Network with STEM learning communities
- Exchanging ideas, experiences and resources with COSEE China
Visit COSEE OCEAN!
For more information about COSEE OCEAN please contact Bob Chen.
