Collaborative: New GK12: Building Ocean Literacy in a Coastal Community through Science Education and Estuarine Monitoring

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Savannah State University (SSU), the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, and the Savannah Chatham Public School System (SCPSS) will engage graduate students, scientists, and K-12 teachers and students in a sustainable research-based education program to promote ocean literacy, science education, and research in coastal Georgia. The goal of the ?Building Ocean Literacy Program? is to expand ocean literacy and cultivate research skills in K-12 classrooms while developing graduate student skills in communicating science concepts to people beyond the research community. The program will pair marine science GK-12 fellows from a historically black university (SSU) with master science teachers and classes within the SCPSS. African-American students are over-represented in the SCPSS compared to the national average and the program will reach a wide and diverse audience. Fellows will engage classes in estuarine monitoring and in their graduate research activities to enhance research skills and ocean literacy in the school system. New graduate coursework will develop communication and teaching skills among GK-12 fellows, while teacher training opportunities will enhance teacher awareness of marine issues. Research activities of GK-12 fellows, teachers, and public school students, will focus on the local estuarine ecosystem and will directly support Georgia Performance Standards. Research and instructional components of this project will collectively 1) promote ocean literacy in K-12 classrooms, 2) enhance K-12 science instruction in Chatham County public schools, and 3) train the next generation of scientists to be competent, comfortable, and engaged in communicating science concepts to a wide array of audiences.