Contact:

Nordica Holochuck, NYSG's Hudson Estuary Specialist E: nch8@cornell.edu.

New York City, NY, February 8, 2012 - Teachers and educators are encouraged to join the New York State Marine Education Association and New York Sea Grant on Saturday, March 10 for an idea and activity sharing to benefit the classroom or outreach programs. This Share-A-Thon event, to be held at Columbia University's Teachers College ( 414 Zankel Hall; 525 W 120th Street) from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m, includes breakfast and will be followed by lunch and NYSMEA's monthly meeting. All attendees will receive a certificate for three hours of professional development credit. To pre-register for the Share-A-Thon, which is strongly encouraged, click here.

Around a dozen presenters will be featured at the event, spotlighting lessons such as a "Sing Along to the Ocean" for elementary grades; Checking the Hudson River's vital signs using in-the-field experiences and Web-based near real-time data; Seeing the world from a whole new perspective using Google Earth Ocean's interactive digital mapping techniques; and National Geographic's ready-to-use marine ecology curriculum for a wide range of grades. There will also be an overview of Beneath The Sea's "Marine Careers and Scholarship" Programs, which are available for high school and college students.

Another lesson plan begins with students building a beach environment on a paint tray, then adding oil to water to mimic 2010's Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon/British Petroleum or 1989's Alaska Exxon Valdez oil spills before using a variety of objects to try and clean up the slick. Students will then consider how a successful method in their small scale beach could be translated into a real method during an actual oil spill. NYSMEA educators have some related field experience: Last year, a group of 14 members traveled to southern Louisiana for a restoration trip that highlighted the importance of the Gulf of Mexico, its seafood, oil and wetlands. NYSMEA educators and NYSG staff will return for a second trip later next month. For more, check out NYSMEA's blog.

NYSMEA members can attend the Share-A-Thon free of charge, with non-members paying $20 for non-members and full-time students $10. All costs include a one-year NYSMEA membership, which entitles educators to attend the Association's annual conference, periodic meetings, lectures, workshops, field trips, and boat trips. NYSMEA members also receive a monthly e-newsletter, "The Strandline," which features upcoming activities and new postings on NYSMEA's Web site.

As the new chair for the NYSMEA's Education Committee, New York Sea Grant Hudson Estuary Specialist Nordica Holochuck says, "I'm looking forward to working with NYSMEA colleagues at Columbia's Teachers College on this pilot program. It's a good opportunity to network with colleagues and for NYSMEA members new and old to find out more about some unique and innovative education techniques to use when teaching  marine science related subjects and programs. Also, I'm hoping this event helps NYSMEA and New York Sea Grant inspire similar resource sharing events throughout New York’s marine coast region. We’d love to have NYSMEA volunteers hold similar events throughout the New York Harbor Estuary watershed and along Long Island Sound."

NYSMEA promotes marine awareness and encourages the growth and exchange of instructional resources within the scientific, commercial, and educational communities. Members include educators from all levels: museum, aquarium, and environmental center staff, research scientists, laboratory technicians and those with interests in SCUBA, fishing, boating, maritime history, folklore, archeology and the arts.

New York Sea Grant is a statewide network of integrated research, education, and extension services promoting the coastal economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness about the State's marine and Great Lakes resources. One of 32 university-based programs under the NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program, NYSG is a cooperative program of the State University of New York and Cornell University.