More than 200 educators increase environmental literacy and knowledge through professional learning opportunities

Relevance

Formal professional learning opportunities have been shown to increase classroom teachers' and informal educators' knowledge, confidence and enthusiasm, as well as  their knowledge of environmental and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers.  Educators who participate in these programs share information, experiences, lesson plans and hands-on activities with students, which increases student environmental and STEM literacy.

Response

The Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium supported professional learning opportunities at each of its three education centers. Education staff planned and advertised workshops, developed lesson plans and hands-on activities, delivered workshops and supported educator learning. Funds supplied necessary materials and provided for firsthand experiences in the field and laboratory. Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium and regional research scientists contributed their expertise to workshops ensuring that workshops provided timely and accurate unbiased information.

Results

Mississippi and Alabama educators gained Gulf-centric knowledge and instructional resources focused on marine technology, coastal ecology, organismal biology, invasive species, coastal change and resilience, and sea level rise through professional learning workshops. Assessments demonstrated content knowledge gain while evaluations indicated that workshops were highly valued by most participating educators. Participating educators will share workshop content and resources with K-12 students and learners amplifying impacts of these learning opportunities.

Recap

In FY24, 208 educators received more than 2,800 hours of professional learning online or in person on marine technology, coastal ecology, organismal biology, invasive species, coastal change and resilience, and sea level rise through 12 Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium-supported workshops.