Partnership for advanced marine and environmental science training for Pacific Islanders

该计划通过太平洋岛屿的社区学院，通过支持与区域相关的课程开发、社区学院教师和中学教师的专业发展、教师、教师和学生的实习和实地经验，以及通过加强参与机构的科学基础设施，改善本科和中学一级的技术教育。这些活动包括为开展相关研究提供培训和必要工具的讲习班、制定区域两年制学院和为少数群体服务的大学的海洋和环境科学课程之间的衔接协议、研究经验和合作，以及中学教师和学生的支持。该项目建立在现有项目(NSF-UMEB、DOI-MAREPAC、NOAA-珊瑚礁倡议)的基础上，以满足美属太平洋岛屿：美属萨摩亚、北马里亚纳群岛联邦、密克罗尼西亚联邦、马绍尔群岛共和国和帕劳共和国的科学和技术需求。太平洋岛屿拥有高度多样和独特的珊瑚礁和陆地生态系统，由于发展压力、过度捕捞的影响以及沉积和农用化学品使用增加造成的沿海污染，这些生态系统面临的压力和退化程度增加。群岛及其居民的未来取决于当地资源管理人员、政策制定者和利益攸关方所掌握的技术技能和知识。以文化上适当的方式提供获取准确和充分信息的关键途径的一个有效手段是加强当地高等教育机构的能力：美属萨摩亚社区学院、密克罗尼西亚-密克罗尼西亚-密克罗尼西亚联邦学院、马绍尔群岛学院、北马里亚纳斯学院和帕劳社区学院。

This program improves technological education at the undergraduate and secondary school levels through the community colleges of the Pacific Islands by supporting regionally relevant curriculum development, the professional development of community college faculty and secondary school teachers, internships and field experiences for faculty, teachers, and students, and by strengthening the scientific infrastructure of the participating institutions. The activities include workshops that provide both training and the necessary tools to perform relevant research, development of articulation agreements between marine and environmental sciences programs at regional two-year colleges and minority-serving universities, research experiences and collaborations, and secondary school teacher and student support. The project builds on existing programs (NSF-UMEB, DOI-MAREPAC, NOAA-Coral Reef Initiative) to address the scientific and technical needs of the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands: American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The Pacific Islands contain highly diverse and unique coral reef and terrestrial ecosystems that are under elevated levels of stress and degradation due to development pressures, the effects of overfishing, and coastal pollution from sedimentation and the increased use of agrochemicals. The future of the Islands and their populations depends on the technical skills and knowledge available to local resource managers, policy makers and stakeholders. An effective means of providing critical access to accurate and adequate information, in a culturally appropriate manner, is to strengthen the capacity of the local institutions of higher education: American Samoa Community College, the College of Micronesia - FSM, the College of the Marshall Islands, Northern Marianas College, and Palau Community College.