Partnership for advanced marine and environmental science training for Pacific Islanders

该方案通过太平洋岛屿的社区学院改进大学和中学一级的技术教育，支持区域相关课程的编制、社区学院教员和中学教师的专业发展、教员、教师和学生的实习和实地经验，并加强参与机构的科学基础设施。 这些活动包括举办讲习班，为开展相关研究提供培训和必要工具，在区域两年制学院和少数民族大学的海洋和环境科学方案之间制定衔接协议，提供研究经验和协作，以及为中学教师和学生提供支持。 该项目建立在现有计划（NSF-UMEB，DOI-MAREPAC，NOAA-珊瑚礁倡议）的基础上，以满足美国的科学和技术需求。附属太平洋岛屿：美属萨摩亚、北方马里亚纳群岛联邦、密克罗尼西亚联邦、马歇尔群岛共和国和帕劳共和国。 太平洋岛屿拥有高度多样化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、沉积物造成的沿海污染以及农用化学品的使用增加，这些生态系统面临更大程度的压力和退化。 群岛及其人口的未来取决于当地资源管理者、决策者和利益攸关方的技术技能和知识。以文化上适当的方式提供获得准确和充分信息的关键途径的一个有效手段是加强地方高等教育机构的能力：美属萨摩亚社区学院、密克罗尼西亚联邦学院、马歇尔群岛学院、北方马里亚纳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.