Collaborative Research: California Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence

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This award provides support to establish a COSEE Center in California with three distributed complementary partners: the Lawrence Hall of Science on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley (informal science partner), Scripps Institution-University of California San Diego (research partner) and Monterey Peninsula College (a public community college and formal education partner) in Monterey. The activities of the proposed COSEE will be organized around four primary initiatives: 1) an outreach effort based at Scripps to engage ocean scientists in K-14 education and the interpretation of their research, 2) the development of an undergraduate course Communicating Ocean Science designed to increase the involvement of undergraduates, graduate students and scientists in educational outreach, 3) the development of an Ocean Careers web site and 4) developing and testing an Ocean Immersion Site for K-12 education based at Scripps to serve the large and culturally diverse population of the San Diego area. The work of this COSEE will enhance the integration of research and education in California by linking some of the best ocean science researchers in the world to science education in both formal and informal settings. The California COSEE's focus on working with schools and school districts in the diverse San Diego area will provide additional resources to strengthen science education and increase access to knowledge and careers among underrepresented populations. Several of the initiatives in this proposal will add diversity and balance to the mosaic of approaches and activities to be implemented by the COSEE network. In particular, the extension model is a unique 'user-centered' approach to getting more scientists involved that clearly needs to be developed and its effectiveness assessed. The undergraduate course in communicating science has potential as a professional development vehicle for college faculty, graduate students and undergraduate majors; this component is being co-funded by NSF's Division of Undergraduate Education. The DUE's Advanced Technology Education program is also providing co-funding for the Careers website at Monterey Peninsula College.