The MERITO Academy
The
goal of the MERITO Academy program is to provide high quality,
sustainable science programming integrating watershed and ocean
science into 4th to 8th grade level public education and extended
learning programs, resulting in the active contribution to ocean
protection by educated and engaged youth.
This goal is being achieved by providing
Ventura and Santa Barbara counties’ educators with the training
and the resources needed to implement the Channel
Islands MERITO Academy Curriculum in their classroom
and after-school programs. School participation in the MERITO
Academy include: introductory in class presentation of the Channel
Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) and the MERITO Academy
program (MA) by MA staff, sponsorship of field trip transportation
to eligible school groups, coordination of field activities, instruction
by MA and sanctuary staff during specific field experiences, the
loan of materials to use in the field, and eligibility for guest
speaker presentations by partner organizations such as UCSB MSI
Magic Planet and Mobile REEF.
The MERITO Academy is a partnership program between Channel Islands
Marine Resource Institute (CIMRI) and Channel Islands National
Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) in collaboration with a cradle of governmental
and non – governmental organizations (City, State and Federal),
public and private schools and the Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary (MBNMS).
The MERITO Academy Curriculum:
The current Channel Islands MERITO Curriculum includes
50 lesson plans (10 are implemented in the field) in 7 modules
aligned to California Education Standards in mathematics, science,
language arts, visual, and performing arts, and English language
development for 4th to 8th grade levels.
Click here for more info.
The MERITO Academy Field Activities:
The field activities take place at a number of sites
previously scouted and carefully selected for each locality in
the Santa Barbara Channel region to meet the curriculum goals
and to be relevant to the student’s communities insuring
meaningful field experiences. Sites include:
Click
here for a list of sites & more info.
For more information contact:
Rocio Lozano-Knowlton,
MERITO Bilingual Education and Outreach Specialist
NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Channel Islands Harbor
3600 S. Harbor Blvd. Suite 111, Oxnard, CA 93035
(805) 382-6149 x 108 office (805) 382-9791 fax
http://channelislands.noaa.gov
