OLP Passes the Torch

Experiential learning about the ocean for K-12 schools

Oceans Learning Partnership (OLP) launched in 2012 with a mandate to help fill the gap in ocean education in the K-12 school system in Newfoundland and Labrador. A network of partner organizations was mobilized, joint programming initiatives were developed, and funding was secured from the Hebron Project and government agencies.

Experiential learning has been the cornerstone of OLP’s educational programming.  Ten years later, an exciting new menu of experiential, out-of-classroom learning programs with accompanying resources are being offered to students and teachers in the St John’s metro area and in rural communities across the province.  These include:

• • A coastal monitoring fieldwork program for high school students taking general science,
  • A marine biodiversity lab for students in high school biology classes,
  • An online mentoring program and six-week summer internship for high school students, piloted by OLP,
  • PD Days and field workshops in experiential learning for in-service teachers,
  • A paid field placement program for pre-service teachers in training at the Faculty of Education.

OLP acted as an incubator for the development of these exciting new programs with the end goal of transitioning the newly developed programs to our partner organizations. As was intended at OLP’s inception, we are pleased to now pass the torch to our program partners with whom we have worked on developing and delivering these programs for the past ten years: Ocean Sciences Centre, Johnson Geo Centre, Manuels River Hibernia Interpretation Centre, Bonne Bay Marine Station, Terra Nova National Park, and Champney’s West Aquarium.

To reach out to the team, and find out more about the programming offered at their sites, and an exciting new initiative in development, the Virtual Learning Hub, get in touch with Danielle Nichols, Team Lead at OSC: dnichols@mun.ca.