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Ocean Literacy Network

Background | History | Impacts | Partners | Campaign | Join Us | Contact Us

Ocean Literacy Network Partners

Partnerships | Institutional Partners | Individual Partners

Institutional Partners

Many scientists and educators in the Ocean Literacy Network have worked together to produce the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts Guide and the Scope and Sequence Conceptual Flow Diagrams and to partner on this Campaign for Ocean Literacy. The goal was to identify ocean science principles and concepts that should be included in K-12 curricula as well as those important for the general public. The Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts together with the Scope and Sequence detail the knowledge required to be considered ocean literate in accordance with the National Science Education Standards (NSES).

While there have been numerous individuals and groups that have laid the groundwork through earlier ocean literacy efforts as well providing ongoing contributions throughout the ocean literacy process, the current efforts on this web site are provided by the following organizations:

Lawrence Hall of Science | College of Exploration | COSEE-CA | COSEE-West | NMEA | NOAA | National Geographic Society

Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS)

Lawrence Hall of Science is the public science center for the University of California, Berkeley. LHS is a national leader in the development and support of science and mathematics instructional materials for grades preK-12. GEMS, FOSS, MARE, Family Math, EQUALS, SEPUP, and OBIS are some of the many LHS projects in use around the world.

Lawrence Hall of Science has played a key role in the design and development of the ocean literacy framework. They have offered ongoing support for meetings of educators and scientists to come together both online and face to face to identify and refine the ocean literacy content. They have contributed pedagogical, scientific and management support throughout the process.

Lawrence Hall of Science staff members together with dedicated educators and scientists have worked diligently to create the ocean literacy scope and sequence maps and are currently overseeing the publication of a Special Issue of Current: The Journal of Marine Education.

College of Exploration (TCOE)

The College of Exploration is a not-for-profit educational organization, with locations and activities in Virginia, Connecticut and Washington state in the USA and Dorset in the UK. We design, develop, deliver, and evaluate education programs, workshops, courses, events, & collaborative learning environments for learners of all ages, with particular emphasis on web-based courses and workshops for educators, teachers, and students.

Since the inception of the ocean literacy campaign, the College of Exploration has provided leadership and guidance of the ocean literacy initiative. TCOE has provided online collaboration environments, which served as the development platform for establishing the essential principles and fundamental concepts and for support of the scope and sequence development process. TCOE has developed the Ocean Literacy web site and has worked to maintain and expand ocean literacy content on the web. In addition TCOE supported that refinement of the ocean literacy content by participating in design and development processes.

COSEE-CA

COSEE-CA is dedicated to creating collaborations among scientists and educators that enhance the public's understanding and appreciation of the ocean. COSEE-CA is a partnership between:

COSEE-CA, one of the original centers in the National COSEE Network, was funded by the National Science Foundation in 2002 and re-funded in 2007. COSEE-CA developed and disseminates the award winning Communicating Ocean Sciences courses; co-leads the Ocean Literacy Campaign; and designs tools for Teaching Ocean Sciences in the 21st Century Classroom. Our Center launched the MARE Center at Scripps, developed the Marine Sciences Careers website, and helps scientists interested in education and outreach. COSEE CA develops tools, programs and courses that are in widespread use throughout the nation. Our programs meet the needs of ocean scientists, K-12 teachers and students, informal educators, and undergraduate and graduate science students.

COSEE-West

COSEE-West is a Center for Ocean Sciences Educational Excellence that brings together research-oriented marine science faculty at UCLA & USC, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the California Science Center, and the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium to create a network of oceanographic researchers, K-12 educators, informal education centers and the general public. The program will be broadly disseminated throughout the greater Los Angeles area, including the Los Angeles Unified School District and other Los Angeles County schools, with exceptional impact on under-achieving and under-represented minorities.

COSEE-West has been a strong advocate and partner in the effort to increase Ocean Literacy.  COSEE-West has hosted workshops that fostered the development of the ocean literacy essential principles and fundamental concepts. COSEE- West has encouraged teacher participation in the process of ocean literacy content and has supported the alignment of these principles and concepts to California State Science Standards. COSEE-West was a sponsor for California CoOL a regional conference, which brought together 119 people to discuss the Essential Principles of Ocean Literacy, the current challenges, and the opportunities facing the nation and California.

National Marine Educators Association (NMEA)

The National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) brings together those interested in the study and enjoyment of both fresh and salt water and provides a focus for marine and aquatic studies all over the world. NMEA publishes Current, the Journal of Marine Education, a newsletter, NMEA NEWS, and the Bridge.

The National Marine Educators Association has afforded a “professional home and platform” for those who have been committed to ocean literacy. In July 2003, NMEA established an ad hoc committee to better define the important marine and aquatic science literacy concepts and to establish linkages to existing state and national standards that will strengthen science education. This committee was also charged with making recommendations on a series of actions for the NMEA Board of Directors and the National Council of the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) to promote an ocean literacy agenda. NMEA continues to foster ocean literacy with through its OCEAN LITERACY COMMITTEE, which focuses the improvement of ocean literacy in both free-choice and formal K-16 education. The Ocean Literacy Committee responsibilities include supporting the development of a scope and sequence of the ocean literacy essential principles and fundamental concepts and organize outreach plans for promoting the ocean literacy definition, essential principles and fundamental concepts to key stakeholders and decision-makers in both formal and free-choice education.

National Oceanic and Admospheric Administration (NOAA)

NOAA has played a key role in the development of the ocean literacy essential principles and fundamental concepts and has incorporated ocean literacy in its grant programs. Ocean literacy and science education are important to NOAA not only because the agency needs experienced and talented scientists to fulfill its mission, but because every individual across the nation, whether living in a coastal or inland state, is affected by the oceans and atmosphere — everyday. NOAA's mission is to serve the nation's need for oceanic and atmospheric information, but doing so also means helping to ensure that the general public understands how NOAA science impacts their daily lives and future prosperity. NOAA Office of Education has funded the 2009 publication of the Special Report on Ocean Literacy.

National Geographic Society (NGS)

NGS was one of the initial partners in the development of the ocean literacy initiative that supported the development of the essential principles and fundamental concepts. In February 2002, the Geographic convened a virtual workshop to identify key ocean concepts that were then developed into an Oceans Scope and Sequence aligned to the National Geography Education Standards. Following that NGS was a key contributor to an ensuing online workshop that brought together a number of educators and scientists to begin to formulate the ocean literacy essential principles and fundamental concepts. NGS was involved in ongoing meetings to refine the ocean literacy content. Once the principles and concepts were delineated and aligned to standards NGS supported the publication of the brochure and provided thousands of copies that were distributed nationwide.