UPDATED OCEAN TOOLKIT INCREASES OCEAN LITERACY IN THE CLASSROOM

Jan 21, 2020

COVE is excited to release a 2nd edition of the “Taking Making into the Classroom: Ocean Toolkit”, a resource that helps educators to elevate ocean STEM learning in the classroom through design thinking projects. 

“We were thrilled with the response from teachers with the first ocean toolkit. The updated version includes more activities for teachers to expand interest in ocean concepts through STEM design, in-turn triggering greater dialogue and understanding of ocean issues and their innovative solutions.,” said Dr. Sherry Scully, Executive Director of COVE Workforce Initiative. “Together, with educators, we are deepening students’ understanding of ocean-related careers across Canada.”

In July and August on 2019, COVE Workforce Initiative, led by Dr. Sherry Scully, facilitated multi-day ocean institutes across Canada. Through a participatory design session, teachers developed new design thinking challenges which contributed to the 2nd edition of the Ocean Toolkit.  This resource reflects the growing commitment of educators from across Canada to facilitate ocean education that is interactive and inquiry-based, and that helps to foster ocean literacy and stewardship, and ocean-positive behaviours among students. Modeled on the Taking Making into Classrooms toolkits developed by Dr. Susan Crichton , professor Emeritus from the Innovative Learning Centre at the University of British Columbia (Kelowna Campus), this edition is the second ocean toolkit in the series.

The 2019 edition of the Ocean Toolkit was made possible through funding from CanCode and continued financial support from Irving Shipbuilding Inc. as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which now totals $5.75M, including $1.25M for the COVE Workforce Initiative.

In addition, the toolkit has been assembled from the hard work and collaborations of educators from across the country, including the following; 

• Nova Scotia
• Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
• Ocean Technology Council of Nova Scotia (OTCNS)
• Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency
• New Brunswick
• Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
• Huntsman Marine Centre
• Engineers and Geoscientists NB
• Cooke Aquaculture
• British Columbia
• Vancouver School Board
• OceanWise
• Vancouver Aquarium
• Industry Training Authority
• Engineers and Geoscientists BC,
 
The summer ocean institutes united ocean education with the Maker Movement which allows us to experiment with our ability to think wisely, tinker creatively, and share generously. Furthermore, it connected STEM education in the k-12 system with emerging ocean industries that are driving sustainable economic development across Canada.

The 2019 edition of the Ocean Toolkit will be available in French at the end of January. The English version of the toolkit can be found at coveocean.com/resources/second-edition-of-the-ocean-toolkit.