1998 Year of the Ocean Marine Education U.S.A.: An Overview 



usable format to classroom teachers and informal science educators. In addition, 

 working with scientists and K-12 educators, standards or guidelines which could be 

 used by teachers and educators to judge the quality, currency, and utility of existing 

 K-12 ocean science education programs should be developed. 



Another recommendation called for CORE to expand and enhance its current home page 

 on the World Wide Web (http://core.cast.msstate.edu) to include information on K-12 programs 

 and opportunities. This home page should also ''point" to those other home pages in the ocean 

 sciences research community which include K-12 information. The CORE Home Page will also 

 be the site for the maintenance and display of an inventory of current K-12 programs, particularly 

 those involving and impacting teachers. 



Consistent with these urgent needs for action, the universities should encourage and 

 provide incentives for faculty members to engage in K-12 outreach to teachers and students. 

 These activities could include, but are certainly not limited to: working with teachers in nearby 

 schools to help incorporate ocean sciences research into classrooms; designing and delivering 

 outreach skills-training to faculty and scientists; providing opportunities for field trips and 

 research internships for teachers and their students; mentoring and counseling both teachers and 

 students, etc. 



The CORE/NSF workshop participants also made general recommendations for the 

 improvement of K-12 marine education: 



1 . Creation of a national program of summer research internships for K- 1 2 teachers at 

 oceanographic institution research sites. 



2. Development of a model pre-service ocean sciences course for use in pre-service K- 

 1 2 math/science teacher education. 



3. Continued support for K-12 curriculum development. 



4. Increased teacher and student participation through technology in ocean sciences data 

 collection and analysis. 



The National Marine Educators Association has provided leadership for some 20 years, 

 and has kept marine education "alive and kicking" through a network of educators and a 

 professional journal. The organization has a membership of just over 1,000 teachers and informal 

 educators. It is not a grant receiving institution, nor does it have political clout in Washington, 

 DC. CORE could provide the clout and grant attracting ability to expand and improve K-12 

 marine education. 



Federal granting agencies such as Sea Grant, NSF, and the Department of Education need 

 to maintain and expand where feasible their support for K-12 marine education. 



K-17 



