Message #130
The Reef Ball Development Group, The Reef Ball Foundation, The Reef Ball
Coalition, Reef Innovations, The Living Classrooms Foundation and the
Institute for Connecting Science Research to the K-12 Classroom will work
in concert to fulfill the following vision for global education impact.
Goals
-To increase awareness and appreciation of the complex interplay of air,
land, sea and human interactions in ocean coastal environments through
education.
-To restore and construct marine reefs in national and international
environments through cooperation with government, business, education and
scientific institutions.
-To design, develop, implement and evaluate firsthand education
experiences in the construction, deployment and study of reef ball reefs
in both classrooms and in natural settings.
-To identify, implement and maintain a basic telecommunications structure
to support all collaborative work in the Reef Ball Reef Restoration
Education Programs.
-To create USA National and international organizational structures
capable of uniting public and private funding to accomplish the above
goals. These structures will include a Reef Ball Restoration education
headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland and an international site yet to be
determined.
Objectives
-To identify regions for the systematic and timely dissemination of Reef
Ball Reef Restoration Education Programs, both USA National and
International.
-To plan, implement and evaluate Reef Ball Reef Restoration 'learning by
doing' Education Programs in the following seven strands:
- K-12 Curriculum Documents and Kits
- USA National and International Specialized Student Programs
- Professional Development Programs for teachers through University
Coursework.
- Reef Ball Reef Restoration Research and Publication
- Eco-tourism Programs Emphasizing Complex Environmental Awareness
- Youth Entrepreneurial Programs
- Service and Volunteer Programs
- To issue quarterly reports to all partners on challenges, successes and
opportunities in the seven strands identified in objectives.
- To create a long term budget based on specific expectations that
outlines the anticipated costs tied to each strand identified in
objective. To name the physical pathway, network protocols and the type of
organizational telecommunications model that will be used in Reef Ball
Reef Restoration USA National and International communications.
Definitions of 'learning by doing' Education Program Strands
STRAND ONE: K-12 Curriculum Documents and Kits
Matching the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s
Project 2061 Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy and addressing the
research found in the TIMSS international testing project, the Living
Classrooms Foundation will produce four curriculum documents. All
documents will be written, field-tested, evaluated, revised and submitted
for accreditation in preparation for publication. Each curriculum document
will feature an associated reef building materials kit for the classroom.
- Grades K – 2 Fish Habitat
- Grades 3 – 5 Aquarium Reef Ball Reef Observations
- Grades 6 – 8 Reef Ball Reef Investigations
- Grades 9 – 12 Marine Science High School Course
- University Levels by Partnerships with various Colleges and Universities
STRAND TWO: Student Specialized Programs
National Application
- Grades 9 – 12 Reef Ball Production and Deployment Program, including a
materials module for reef ball production and deployment at a regional
Reef Ball Restoration site.
- In USA Regional Reef Ball Reef Restoration competitions each year an
identified site will sponsor a regional competition for schools that have
participated in Reef Ball Production and Deployment Program.
- Summer Programs will be offered at to-be-identified Reef Ball Reef
Restoration sites. National marketing will identify students ages 14 – 18
who will participate in fee-for-service programs at Reef Ball Reef
Restoration project sites.
International Application
- The Reef Ball Reef Restoration will develop partnerships to integrate
global renewal education goals.
- An “On the Road” program template addressing cultural sensitivities and
environmental impacts will be designed. Adaptations to the “On the Road”
program will create distinct applications for each identified site
internationally.
STRAND THREE: Professional Development for Teachers
Through Virginia Tech University and Johns Hopkins University three
specific approaches to developing coursework for teaching professionals
will be employed.
1) On-line Course development for inter-university credit
2) Independent Study Course for university credit or audit
3) A University six-week module for insertion into existing environmental
education coursework.
STRAND FOUR: Reef Ball Reef Restoration Research and Publication
Reef Ball Reef Restoration Projects will include research components
involving private and public research scientists, and their associated
schools or institutions. Reef Ball Reef Restoration USA National and
International will facilitate these efforts on a case by case basis,
including promotion of publication of scientific findings.
STRAND FIVE: Eco-Tourism
Under the direction of the Reef Ball Coalition, the Living Classrooms
Education Team will design field experiences for tourists and family
science programs to be used at sites identified by the Coalition. The
Living Classrooms Foundation’s award winning interaction recreation models
will be the fundamental design for program development.
STRAND SIX: Youth Entrepreneurial Programs
Reef Ball Reef Restoration depends on reef ball production. As
demand grows with new projects and through the development of education
programs, the Living Classrooms Foundation will work in cooperation with
Reef Ball organizations to apply its youth serve education models at
regional sites. Job-training and youth employment locally will underscore
these programs.
STRAND SEVEN: Service and Volunteer Programs
The establishment of the education programs will open opportunities
for public participation through locally designed service and volunteer
programs. These programs will be for promotional and facilitate public
awareness of relevant environmental issues.
Strategic Alliances and Partnerships
Teaming with Reef Ball Restoration professionals, the Living
Classrooms Foundation will actively pursue strategic alliances and long
term partnerships. Each partnership will be tied to specific strands and
involve a multi-year commitment.
National – Initial Contacts to Build Sustainable Alliances
Virginia Tech University
Johns Hopkins University
National Science Teachers Association’s Build a Presence for Science
Program
Toyota Foundation
Hitachi Foundation
Sea Grant -USA
Columbus Center in Baltimore, Maryland
Department of Natural Resources
Fish and Wildlife Service
Discovery Channel
Environmental Protection Agency
International – Initial Contacts to Build Sustainable Alliances
American Field Service
Dominica Conservation Association
Sea Grant - Caribbean
Virginia Tech University’s Research Centers, Institutes and Laboratories
Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab
Johns Hopkins University’s Maryland Earth/Space Grant Consortium
The Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species
The United States Information Agency
Financial Strategies
Four approaches will be used to generate appropriate funding.
Funding efforts will coincide with the expectations set in objective above.
- Fee for service
- Research project funding
- Grants for identified strands
- Strategic long term alliances
Key Personnel
Professionals from The Reef Ball Development Group, the Reef Ball
Foundation, The Reef Ball Coalition, and Reef Innovations will be
identified.
Living Classrooms Foundation Personnel
Scott Raymond, National and International Education Program Officer
Christine Truett, Program Administrator
Bob Keddell, Educational program design, implementation, and evaluation
Sheryl Barr, Curriculum development
John Dillow, Youth Entrepreneur Programs
Dr. Bill Jones, Senior Scientist, Center for Marine Biotechnology
Appropriate Information Technologies professionals will be brought on
board by LCF as of July 2000.
Institute for Connecting Science Research to the Classroom
Dr. Joy Colbert University coursework development and research connections
Dr. John Wenrich Distance learning program development and applications
A formal MOA is being prepared between the involved companies. If you are
interested in participating in this effort as a corporate, foundation or
governmental long term partner contact us.
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