A Perspective on Pre-University and College Marine and Aquatic Education in Canada.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper: (1) reviews the goals and directions of United States marine education; (2) reports the findings of three surveys which were designed to provide a perspective on current Canadian efforts in marine education; and (3) presents a set of proposed goals and future directions for marine education in Canada. Federal agencies with a "functional area" related to management of marine and aquatic resources were contacted in the first survey. Individuals within these agencies completed a questionnaire pertaining to the type of K-12 involvement it had in formal education and in nonformal and information learning initiatives. Science, environmental education, or social studies consultants in the 10 provinces and two territorial ministries of education were contacted in the second survey to ascertain the extent of their involvement in marine education. Elementary and secondary teachers who had taught marine/aquatic education were contacted in the third survey to assess the status of marine education programs and to identify future directions. The results of these surveys (which are discussed separately) do not provide definitive answers. Rather, they suggest starting points, such as developing a newsletter and network to facilitate the exchange of materials and information among interested individuals. (JN)