ANACORTES - Representatives from 10 scientific societies convened at Western Washington University's Shannon Point Marine Center in Anacortes on Aug.19-21 to discuss best practices and ways to increase collaboration on K-12 aquatic science education.
"We were very pleased to serve as the venue for this important workshop," said Stephen Sulkin, Shannon Point director, adding: "We look forward to seeing the outcomes of all of the hard work put in by the participants. I am certain it will advance the role in K-12 education played by professional science and education societies."
Nineteen participants attended the workshop representing the American Geophysical Union, American Meteorological Society, American Society of Limnology & Oceanography, Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation, Ecological Society of America, Marine Technology Society, National Marine Education Association, National Science Teachers Association, the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, and The Oceanography Society.
The workshop was organized by: Gisele Muller-Parker, assistant director of Shannon Point Marine Center and the education councilor for The Oceanography Society; by Susan Cook, Consortium for Ocean Leadership, representing the Marine Technology Society, and Lesley Smith, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, representing the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography.
The workshop was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
A key goal of the workshop was to develop cross-cutting programs in K-12 science education that will enable collaboration among science and education professional societies.
Cook said that "professional societies focused on ocean research and technology have the potential to serve as ‘change agents' to help the United States achieve broad scientific literacy and prepare citizens for 21st century careers in science and technology. At this catalytic workshop, we laid the groundwork for future collaborative efforts that could really make a difference for our country."
Shannon Point Marine Center was chosen as the venue for the workshop due to its facilities, interest in promoting K-12 education in the marine sciences, and its beautiful natural setting.
"The commitment of the participants to continue to work together on this effort is a very important first step, and I believe the new collaborations established at the Shannon Point workshop will make important contributions to K-12 education in aquatic sciences," Muller-Parker said.
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