Are you ready to immerse students in a community science education program in your local MPA?
Since 2012, Crystal Cove Conservancy has worked with California State Parks, UC Irvine, local schools, and other partners to refine the educational approach for our Marine Science Cruise. This innovative program puts middle school and high school programs on the sea to work alongside university researchers and natural resource managers to monitor changes in the Crystal Cove State Marine Conservation Area. Learning evaluations have shown that as students take part and collect data, our program model helps them develop a deeper understanding of environmental systems.
This guide is part of our efforts to share our model for learning with other community science and environmental education organizations so that you, too, can design effective programs for learners!
The MPA Cruise curriculum model project was made possible through a 2020 grant from the Ocean Protection Council and Coastal Quest’s MPA Small Grants program.
Coastal Quest administers the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Outreach and Education Small Grants Program. This competitive grant program, funded by the Ocean Protection Council and private donors, provides support to organizations serving many priority communities to increase MPA stewardship, engagement, compliance, and leadership. For more information on Coastal Quest and the MPA Small Grants Program, visit their website (www.coastal-quest.org).
Please fill out the form below to gain access to the Marine Protected Area Program Model.