Mid-Atlantic Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence

The Mid-Atlantic Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) was recently established by the National Science Foundation as one of six regional centers to promote awareness of the ocean sciences among our youth and the general public. The collective science and educational strengths of Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology, the University of Maryland, College of William and Mary, New York Aquarium, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and a National Estuarine Research Reserve constitute the backbone of the Center. Technological advances in ocean observation, modeling, and data synthesis that have enabled the nation to enter a new era in oceanography, along with active NSF science programs underway in the Mid-Atlantic region, will be used to provide a source of data and information to scale up a variety of existing programs such as: professional development opportunities for middle and high school teachers (grades 5-9) that will lead to the creation of new Earth sciences and other science teaching modules within the classroom; pre-service training programs that feature hands-on exposure to geoscience research, important teaching resources including audiovisual materials, and the internet technologies that can link active research programs to their future students; and; graduate training for students enrolled in geoscience graduate programs by offering fellowship support that combines knowledge creation with knowledge translation and transfer to K-12 teachers. Each of these programs will be delivered in relevant formats including face to face programs, internships, and emerging technologies such as video streaming and distance learning and the worldwide web. The partner institutions of the Mid-Atlantic COSEE recognize that education reform is a long-term proposition. Providing depth of content in Earth sciences and long-term professional development opportunities are keys to stimulating change in teaching practices and improving student achievement. Thr- > - > ough this COSEE Center, the partners seek to explore strategies for creating life-long learners including long-term improvements in the preparation of teachers by exposing them to the practice of science. Second, the partners strive to improve communication among the science-education community through graduate student assistantships and collaborative development of educational materials. Finally, our short-term goal is to assist overburdened school directs with training opportunities and resources that contribute to the enrichment of the school community. The Center plans to use the results of the preliminary evaluation to ground-truth these goals and make mid-course corrections for a broader, more sustained effort.