The USS Monitor: A pioneering model for education and outreach

In the summer of 2002, staff from NOAA´s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA) and the U.S. Navy recovered USS Monitor´s icon revolving gun turret from the Atlantic Ocean, successfully capping off a multi-year recovery of over 200 tons of artifacts from the wreck site of the Civil War ironclad. Since that time, NOAA and their partners at The Mariners´ Museum (TMM) have undertaken a pioneering collaborative effort to promote the historical and cultural significance of this National Historical Landmark. Education and outreach initiatives form the backbone of this collaboration, including an award-winning exhibition and conservation laboratory at The Mariners´ Museum, classroom initiatives, distance learning, and events and festivals around the country, all of which have introduced hundreds of thousands of people to the Monitor´s story. The goals of this multi-pronged approach are to raise public awareness; encourage public involvement in resource protection; increase knowledge about maritime history, science, and technology; and expand ocean and climate literacy. This paper examines the methods used by the partnership to achieve these goals and provides a template for best practices in maritime science and history education through a public-private partnership.