A program of the Lawrence Hall of Science that seeks to increase ocean literacy through informal and formal education initiatives
Marine Activities, Resources & Education

Informal Educators and Institutions

MARE has programs and projects for informal educators to share and reflect on their teaching practice in informal science education institutions.

Communicating Ocean Sciences College Courses

NSF’s emphasis on educational outreach and the broader impact of research has led to Communicating Ocean Sciences (COS) college courses, COS K-12 and COSIA (Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences). COS is one of the initiatives of the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence California (COSEE CA). The target students for the courses are science majors interested in learning how to communicate science more effectively to the public and/or K-12 students.

COS provides opportunities for scientists to discuss their research with university students and to incorporate aspects of their research into science outreach. COS is an effective vehicle for educational outreach to K-12 students and the wider public through the efforts of the university students. The course is designed to be taught by science faculty paired with an educator.

Professional Learning for Informal Institutions

MARE has developed Reflecting on Practice, a professional learning program that immerses novice and experienced science educators in informal environments in discussions about, reflections on, and applications of research and theory on learning and teaching science.

The program aims to build shared language and understanding among educators; engage practitioners in habits of reflections; and nurture a tradition of continued professional learning among participants, and build a professional learning community.

Ocean Sciences Activities

Looking for ocean sciences activities? Search for high-quality hands-on activities developed and tested by other informal science institutions on the SMILE pathway. The Science and Math Informal Learning Educators (SMILE) pathway of the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) is a national partnership among science and technology centers, museums, community-based organizations, and out-of-school educators dedicated to making science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) engaging and accessible for all learners. The Lawrence Hall of Science has partnered with other institutions to develop this searchable database of science activities, which includes activities developed for COSEE’s Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (COSIA) college course.