Maine educators participate in Exploring Oceanography Workshop

Maine teachers ready to integrate ocean science into their classrooms

East Boothbay, Maine – Ten teachers from across Maine will have the opportunity to learn first-hand about the latest in ocean sciences at a week-long training program at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences beginning Tuesday, July 21.  The teachers will spend the week conducting hands-on research, learning about important ocean issues, and working side-by-side with Bigelow Laboratory scientists as part of the sixth annual BLOOM (Bigelow Laboratory Orders Of Magnitude) Educator’s Program.

Bigelow Laboratory researchers Dr. David Fields and Dr. Nicole Poulton lead the program which provides teachers with training, tools, and hands-on research experience so that they are better equipped to teach about complicated ocean science issues. In addition to learning the fundamentals of ocean science from both a local and global context, the ten educators will receive curriculum materials, aquatic field sampling and laboratory equipment, and follow-up support during the academic year.

“Our goal is to enhance teachers’ understanding of the ocean, how it works, what lives in it, and how it is changing so that they can take this knowledge and share it more effectively with their students, “ explains Fields. “Given that the ocean is so vital to our economy and way of life here in Maine, a greater focus on ocean science is a winning situation for everyone involved.”

The ten Maine teachers who are participating in the 2015 "Exploring Oceanography" BLOOM Educator's Program are:

Celeste Frisbee: Traip Academy, Kittery
James Kary: Chewonki Semester School, Wiscasset
Kimberly Scantlebury: Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport
Micah Depper: Harpswell Coastal Academy, Harpswell
Janet Perry: Ashland District High School, Ashland
Emily Cohn:  Vinalhaven School, Vinalhaven
Carrie Emerson: Sacopee Valley High School, Hiram
David McKechnie: North Haven Community School, North Haven
Kate Miller: Greely Middle School, Cumberland Center
Jeff Cleaveland: Hall-Dale High School, Appleton

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, an independent not-for-profit research institution on the coast of Maine, conducts research ranging from microbial oceanography to large-scale ocean processes that affect the global environment. Recognized as a leader in Maine’s emerging innovation economy, the Laboratory’s research, education, and technology transfer programs are spurring significant economic growth in the state.