COSEE-West, Community-based Ocean Sciences Education

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Over the past 5 years, COSEE-West has successfully catalyzed community-based ocean sciences education in southern California, engaging faculty from 13 universities and research institutions, educators from at least 8 informal science education centers, and over 350 teachers from 30 school districts, including the second largest school district in the nation. We propose to build on this legacy of success through synergistic partnerships and entrepreneurial catalytic activities.The overarching goals of COSEE-West remain the same:1) Increase public awareness of ocean sciences;2) Use ocean sciences as an incentive to increase general science and ocean literacy; and3) Increase the number of students that choose science and ocean sciences careers.We have already created a robust and thriving network of ocean researchers, K-12 educators, informal education centers, students and the general public. In 2007-2012, University of Southern California, UCLA, College of Exploration, Los Angeles Unified School District, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and many other institutions will build on our previous accomplishments and expand the impact and reach of COSEE-West activities. We will do this through four synergistic objectives that promote broad participation of diverse groups in ocean sciences and enhance community infrastructure of ocean sciences education:[1] ?nReach a National Audience with Scalable Educational Models. We will develop model programs for reaching large audiences through new uses of online services. We will build programs to reach teachers, informal educators, students from high school through college levels, and the general public with online services that expand a previously tested distance learning education model and leverage the role of undergraduates in outreach education, reaching far more educators and providing effective mentoring.[2] ?nInstitutionalize Professional Development Programs. We will build on our existingprofessional development approach to reach more science teachers at a regional scale byleveraging and institutionalizing our successful teacher workshops. We will extend theeffectiveness of our COSEE-West teacher workshops by enlisting master teachers to provide additional professional development workshops and by demonstrating the value of district funding to create a sustainable mechanism for ocean sciences teacher training.[3] Improve the Effectiveness of Informal Science Education. We will enhance the outreach and education goals of our informal science education partners by fostering opportunities for collaboration with ocean scientists, and delivering cutting edge ocean sciences content in an easily understood and implemented format. We will create opportunities for close interaction between scientists, informal educators, students and teachers through science exhibit retreats and informal educator professional development.[4] Expand Diversity in Ocean Science. Our final objective is a central theme woven into all of our objectives: to expand the diversity of people with ocean literacy. Our online workshops have great potential to reach a wide and diverse audience of high school and community college students and help lower the intimidation factors that prevent many minority students from considering ocean sciences majors. Working with University support programs for minorities will further reduce barriers to equal inclusion of all races and ethnicities in ocean sciences. Additionally, a more concerted effort to reach diverse public audiences through informal education partners and engage under-served minority students in science exhibit retreats will also advance our objectives in this area.