Feb
22
High School Students Earn University of Washington Credit in Oceanography
Filed Under Citizen scientists, Higher Education, Marine/Aquatic Education, Oceans | 1 Comment
by Richard Strickland, University of Washington School of Oceanography and Timothy Stetter, University of Washington Professional and Continuing Education
This fall, as flocks of new freshmen swarm to college campuses, many of them are bringing along college credits that they earned while they were still in high school. Some of them earned the credits by taking Advanced Placement exams, and others took detours from their home schools to attend classes on college campuses.
Some students, however, earned college credits by taking classes from their own teachers in their own high schools. The University of Washington (UW) offers a program in which leading teachers, guided by UW faculty mentors, teach at a college level and students can earn UW credit. Read more
Jan
15
Citizen scientists tackle ocean “dead zones along Oregon coast
Filed Under Biological Diversity, Citizen scientists, Climate change, Food, Marine/Aquatic Education, Sustainability | Leave a Comment
Edible Portland has an article this month about how local fishermen and crabbers off the Oregon coast are working together with scientists from Oregon State University to monitor areas of hypoxia (low or no oxygen in ocean waters) to learn why it’s happening and how sustainable practices in their industry can help address the problem. Read the article here.
Jul
30
The West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health
The ocean plays a critical role in maintaining ecosystems and is essential to our health and wellbeing. Its diversity of resources belong to all of us. Yet, only 1 in 10 Americans understand ocean systems or the threats these systems are facing. It is critical to educate and promote stewardship among our students and the public- at-large in order to restore a healthy, productive and resilient ocean. Read more
Jul
29
Community-Based Education – The Colquitz Watershed Stewardship Education Project
Filed Under Biological Diversity, Marine/Aquatic Education, Place-based Education, Programs | Leave a Comment
By Pam Murray
Along the Cowichan River, surrounded by the smell of cottonwood resin, an elementary school student discovers that dragonfly larvae look like aliens. In a quiet wetland, a middle school teacher marvels as a guest expert shows his class how to fold cat-tails into duck shaped toys and send them downstream with wishes. In a municipal office, a bureaucrat considers a community proposal, initiated by an elementary school class, to create a new park.
Since 1994, the Colquitz Watershed Stewardship Education Project (CWSEP) has been bringing students, teachers, and the community together to experience educational turning points like those above. Headed by teacher Lenny Ross, the award winning project has successfully instilled an environmental ethic in students of all ages and their teachers by connecting them to the watersheds in which they live.
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Jul
27
by Gene Williamson
Forty years ago, when I first decided that I wanted to teach about the oceans in my 8th grade classroom in Corvallis, I was faced with a daunting task. Not only were there only the sketchiest of materials available, the prevailing wisdom was that students were not capable of dealing with sea floor geology, tides, and similar topics. There was no course of study or a common understanding of what we wanted to teach and how. Several other Oregon teachers were having similar problems. We met to discuss our mutual conundrum and, as a result, NAME was born. Read more

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What is the link between conservation and environmental education?
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