The Outreach program communicates and transfers the knowledge and technology developed
by the Center of Excellence in Oceans and Human Health and other Hollings Marine
Laboratory programs to potential users. Audiences include natural resource and public
health managers, scientists, regulatory agencies, local decision makers, university
students, teachers, and the public. Designed to be a cross-cutting program, outreach
is a transparent part of research, data management, synthesis, and program management
activities and includes all research programs. Principal Investigators conducting
research in the Center of Excellence in Oceans and Human Health are required to
participate in education and outreach activities. An Education Coordinator at the
Hollings Marine Laboratory is responsible for coordinating and organizing their
activities.
The goal of the Education and Outreach Program is to transfer the technology and
knowledge produced by the OHH
Center at the HML to diverse
audiences. For each project, the appropriate educational audience is identified
based on their need to use the information and technology produced at work or in
their personal lives. Audience groups include public health agencies, regulatory
and resource management agencies, other scientists, teachers, students, communities
and the public. The education coordinator is also responsible for developing education
and communication programs to ensure that knowledge produced by NOAA’s Oceans
and Human Health Initiative is transferred to the next generation and the public.
As part of the NOAA Oceans and Human Health Initiative, traineeships for graduate
students are being planned to create a new generation of biomedically-oriented ocean
scientists and ocean-oriented biomedical scientists.
Click here for a full project report
Abstract
The Outreach and Education program of the NOAA Center of Excellence for Oceans and
Human Health (OHH) at the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML) is a cross-cutting program
that is designed to be a transparent part of research, data management, synthesis,
and program management activities and includes all research programs The goal of
the Education and Outreach Program is to transfer the technology and knowledge produced
by the OHH Center at the HML to diverse audiences. The target audiences for outreach
include public health agencies, regulatory and resource management agencies, other
scientists, and university students. The Outreach Coordinator is also responsible
for developing the education programs what will ensure the knowledge produced by
NOAA’s Oceans and Human Health Initiative is transferred to the next generation
through teachers and students and public audiences.
Highlights include outreach and education cooperative activities conducted with
the Centers of Excellence at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and the Great
Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory as well as the NOAA OHHI program. In addition,
the Outreach Coordinator collaborated in grant proposals to enhance the capacity
of the Center of Excellence to provide training to students, developed and published
web-based and hard copy materials about the research program, and completed planning
with the South Carolina Aquarium to provide seminars and panel discussions for the
public and targeted audiences. The Outreach Coordinated traveled to OHH related
professional meetings to present overviews of the Center and OHH programs.
Accomplishments:
- The HML Outreach Coordinator conducted planning activities with the other NOAA OHH
Centers that included:
- Suggest content for the Interagency Working Group report to congress relative to
education and outreach activities in OHH programs.
- Produced a Teacher Professional Development Proposal that includes initial planning
and materials for:
- NOAA NOS Discovery Kit
- NOAA National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) OHH Sci-Pack
- NOAA National Marine Education Association Journal “Currents” Issue
- Collaboration with other NOAA OHH Centers to produce an unfunded NOAA Environmental
Education grant proposal “Fostering Ocean Literacy Among Urban Youth: A Regional
Case Study Approach to Oceans and Human Health Issues”
- Produced written summaries and presentations about the program for diverse audiences.
- The HML Outreach Coordinator partnered with the NSF funded ARMADA program at the
University of Rhode Island’s Office of Marine Programs to support one teacher
research experience at HML (Summer 2006). This fourth grade teacher produced materials
that HML can share with other teachers and students as well as her own. The HML
scientists will continue to collaborate with the Armada teacher through classroom
visits and tidal marsh field trips.
- To introduce a new audience to Oceans and Human Health research HML produced an
exhibit for Piccolo Spoleto, an art festival in Charleston entitled, The Art in
Science. This exhibit drew the public in to ask questions about the research that
produced the art.
- Prepared weekly report items about HML OHH projects for submittal through NOS reporting
channels.
- Coordinated and provided administrative supervision of Hollings Scholar Intern.
- Initiated collaboration with the South Carolina Aquarium to plan a 4 part seminar/panel
and questions and answers series that is scheduled to take place throughout 2007,
beginning in Jan. The series will celebrate NOAA’s 200 th Anniversary.
- Conducted communications needs assessment of scientific, technical and student OHH
researchers to develop a communications plan for internal audiences and to begin
a plan for external audiences.
Publications/Presentations:
Publications
- Bauer, M. , ed. Harmful Algal Research and Response: A Human Dimensions Strategy,
2006 National Office for Marine Biotoxins and Harmful Algal Blooms, contributor.
Presentations
- January 2006 NOAA OHHI Meeting
- April 2006 OHH Program Meeting
- July 2006 Presentation: National Marine Educators Association Conference (HML research
in Monitoring, Assessment and Prediction in Tidal Creeks and ARMADA teachers in
the Classroom)
- July 2006 Poster: National Marine Educators Association Conference, NOAA’s
Centers of Excellence in Oceans and Human Health
Public Information and Outreach:
- Suggest content for the Interagency Working Group report to congress relative to
education and outreach activities in OHH programs.
- Produced a Teacher Professional Development Proposal for OHH COEs
- Collaboration with other NOAA OHH Centers to produce proposal “Fostering Ocean
Literacy Among Urban Youth: A Regional Case Study Approach to Oceans and Human Health
Issues”
- Produced written summaries and presentations about the program for diverse audiences.
- Partnered with the ARMADA program to support one teacher research experience at
HML (Summer 2006). . .
Additional Education Programs and Links
For teachers: