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Marine Science and Oceanography Teaching Fellows

Marine Science and Oceanography Teaching Fellows
Marine Science and Oceanography Teaching Fellows

The New York Academy of Sciences Marine Science and Oceanography Teaching Fellows program identifies innovative and diverse educators in the fields of Marine Science and Oceanography. Working with the New York Academy of Sciences, these Fellows will help shape the Early Childhood to Grade 12 curriculum at NEOM for formal, informal and family education. Educators from a wide variety of disciplines and organizations are invited to apply, but their focus must be on curricular innovations in the EC-12 space. The Fellowship will start in June 2023 and run through December 2023.  Fellows are not required to travel to NEOM and will meet remotely except for the NMEA conference in July 2023.

The Fellowship will support dynamic STEAM educators as they advance in their field through the following activities:

  • Building a community of cross-disciplinary, cross-sector Fellows who will contribute to the creation of a new approach to marine science and oceanography education.

  • Create a self-design project that creates instructional materials

  • Funding participation in a Design Summit for Marine Science and Oceanography at an upcoming marine science education conference

  • Providing a stipend of unrestricted funds

  • Linking Fellows to a larger community of educators and scientists at the New York Academy of Sciences and highlighting their contributions

The Academy encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds and fields to apply. Applicants must be eligible to travel to the US in July 2023 to attend the National Marine Education Association Conference in Bellingham, Washington.

Important Dates:

  • Applications OPEN: February 1, 2023

  • Applications CLOSE: April 30, 2023

  • Fellows named: May 15, 2023

  • Fellowship BEGINS: June 15, 2023

  • National Marine Education Association Conference in Bellingham, Washington, USA: July 23-27, 2023

  • Fellowship ENDS: December 15, 2023

Experienced educators in the field of marine science and oceanography are invited to apply for a Summer + Fall Semester Fellowship administered by the New York Academy of Sciences. Fellows will participate in an orientation session, attend a marine science educational conference, participate in a Design Summit, and then have monthly meetings to produce an educational unit in their chosen topic area within marine science and oceanography.

About NEOM

NEOM is an accelerator of human progress and a vision of what a New Future might look like. It is a region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea being built from the ground up as a living laboratory – a place where entrepreneurship will chart the course for this New Future. It will be a destination and a home for people who dream big and want to be part of building a new model for exceptional livability, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation.

NEOM will include hyperconnected, cognitive towns and cities, ports and enterprise zones, research centers, sports and entertainment venues and tourist destinations. As a hub for innovation, entrepreneurs, business leaders and companies will come to research, incubate and commercialize new technologies and enterprises in groundbreaking ways. Residents of NEOM will embody an international ethos and embrace a culture of exploration, risk-taking and diversity.

NEOM’s approach to environmental conservation and regenerative development adheres to five core principles: Understand, Protect, Enhance, Sustain, and Inspire. This is how 95% of NEOM’s land and sea will be protected for nature.

To protect the incredible biodiversity of the Red Sea and lay the foundations for NEOM’s ambitious conservation program, NEOM and OceanX embarked on an advanced scientific exploration mission to learn more about life in the ocean’s depths. Beneath the surface of the Red Sea lies an unexplored world. Despite its rich ecosystem, the ocean bed remained largely uncharted.

Over six weeks, 30 world-renowned experts explored around the clock carrying out pioneering work in the deep sea and shallow reefs - focused on oceanography, mapping and genetics. Their groundbreaking discoveries have uncovered the secrets of the Red Sea which could make a dramatic difference in the battle to save the world’s oceans.

Learn more about the mission and OceanX: https://www.neom.com/en-us/oceanx

Guideline and Application Instructions

+ Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Applicants must be an educator in the marine science and oceanography field with a focus on Early Childhood to Grade 12 (Secondary School). Educators include teachers, instructors, administrators, researchers, and trainees. The Academy approaches this with an expansive definition of marine science and oceanography.

    • Marine Science and Oceanography fields include Marine Ecosystems and Organisms, Vessel and Vessel Operations, Aquaculture, Marine Policy and Advocacy, Ocean Engineering, Marine Engineering, The Blue Economy, Technical Diving, Ocean Literacy, Marine Geosciences, and Climate Sciences

  • Applicants can work at a wide array of institutions but must focus their work on Early Childhood to Grade 12 education. The Academy approaches this with an expansive definition of institutions.

    • Sample eligible institutions include schools, early childhood centers, museums and cultural centers, higher education institutions and research centers, nonprofit and for profit education focused institutions, and tourism organizations.

  • Applicants must be at least 20 years old by the start of the fellowship and must have taught in the field for at least two years.

  • Applicants must be available to attend the conference in person in July 2023. The Academy is unable to provide support for Fellows to obtain visas but will provide a letter of invitation or participation if necessary.

  • Candidates must hold a valid travel document and be willing to travel abroad for the residential session.

  • Candidates should be proficient in spoken and written English and should be comfortable presenting and speaking in public.

  • Candidates should demonstrate a degree of resilience that enables them to contribute fully to the program while also meeting other organizational and personal commitments.

  • Candidates should be curious, open-minded, flexible, and comfortable in multicultural environments.

  • Candidates have a strong profile showing a steady record of accomplishments in the field of education . They have also been involved in education and/or development projects for at least 3 years.

+ Application Form

Required information includes: applicant's name, title, organization, email address, phone number, mailing address, and sub-disciplinary category within the field of marine science and oceanography.

Additional Materials
Letter of Recommendation: Applicants must upload a letter of recommendation that includes information about the applicant's qualifications for the fellowship and confirms eligibility.

Personal Essay
Applicants should include an essay (no more than 1000 words) on their interest in the Fellowship and what they hope to accomplish during the fellowship period.

Resume or CV
Optional Links to documents, videos or other artifacts that support your application. Applicants must include their current resume or CV. They also have the option to include additional documents, videos, or other artifacts that support their application.

Stipend and Benefits

  • The New York Academy of Sciences Marine Science and Oceanography Fellowship is a 6-month fellowship that runs from June 15, 2023 until December 15, 2023.

    • The Fellowship may not be deferred once awarded.

  • Fellows will receive a $5000 stipend to participate in the Fellowship. Fellows will receive 50% upon signing the Fellowship agreement, 25% upon completion of the Design Summit and 25% upon completion of the Fellowship.

  • Fellows receive round-trip economy class airfare, local travel, accommodations, a per diem for food and incidental expenses, and a paid conference registration in order to attend the National Marine Education Association Conference.

  • Fellows receive a one year membership to the New York Academy of Sciences.


Fellow Responsibilities

  • Fellows will attend one virtual, 3-hour orientation session where they will meet the rest of the cohort and review expectations for the Fellowship.

  • Fellows travel to the National Marine Education Association Conference in Bellingham, Washington, USA. At the conference they will participate in a one-day Design Summit that includes multiple fellowship meetings.

  • At the Design Summit, Fellows will propose their project for the remainder of the Fellowship.

    • Create instructional materials for use by educators at NEOM and be targeted at a specific grade band

    • Include at least 10 hours of instructional material and a teacher guide

    • The Project should meet the following standards:

  • Fellows attend monthly online meetings with the whole group to share work and progress and get feedback on the materials they are developing.

  • Fellows deliver a final presentation of materials to the group and turn in final projects.

Projects are meant to fill a gap identified in Marine Science and Oceanography education. It needs to fill a number of criteria:

  • Either it doesn’t exist or it could be dramatically improved if we created new content around it

  • It is scientifically rigorous and meets the definition of a high quality instructional material

  • It qualifies as STEAM, meaning that it has learning goals that cover the arts and at least two disciplines in STEM

  • It covers 7-10 hours of learning material, can be taught at NEOM and does not require highly specialized equipment

Sample projects:

  • A unit that addresses decarbonizing the shipping industry

  • A Citizen Science project that helps students at NEOM schools track a critical piece of observable marine science data

  • A series of videos or a podcast aimed at parents living on the Red Sea

  • A annotated list of existing out of school and in school clubs that could be launched at NEOM including boat building competitions

FAQs

Can you give examples of potential projects? 

Projects are meant to fill a gap identified in Marine Science and Oceanography education. It needs to fill a number of criteria:

  • Either it doesn’t exist or it could be dramatically improved if we created new content around it

  • It is scientifically rigorous and meets the definition of a high quality instructional material

  • It qualifies as STEAM, meaning that it has learning goals that cover the arts and at least two disciplines in STEM

  • It covers 7-10 hours of learning material, can be taught at NEOM and does not require highly specialized equipment

Sample projects:

  • A unit that addresses decarbonizing the shipping industry

  • A Citizen Science project that helps students at NEOM schools track a critical piece of observable marine science data

  • A series of videos or a podcast aimed at parents living on the Red Sea

  • A annotated list of existing out of school and in school clubs that could be launched at NEOM including boat building competitions.

Is this Fellowship in person or remote? 

This Fellowship is remote with an in person component. All activities other than the Design Summit will take place online.

Marine Science and Oceanography Teaching Fellows

Jordan Bader, PhD

Bright Star Academy

2023 Fellow

My career centers around how pedagogical practices within the life sciences can drive behavior toward the natural world. My interest in this line of work is motivated by my research that explores how beliefs and identities contribute toward decision-making when handling controversial scientific issues (e.g., climate change). Although this work is specifically for the undergraduate student population, my interests are now turned to early childhood education, as these students are beginning to develop foundational behaviors toward living things and an awareness about the world around them. Currently, I am striving to advance the field in early childhood, focusing on promoting scientific literacy skills and connection with nature through hands-on experiential learning.

Marine Science and Oceanography Teaching Fellows

Jawad Bashir

Roots International

2023 Fellow

Jawad Bashir, Educationist, and Marine Geologist has over nine years of experience in the field of curriculum design, Coordination, and Scientific Research. As an educationist, I have experience in diverse education systems, where I am able to foster inclusive learning environments and implement innovative teaching methodologies.

My Passion for Earth sciences and Education has allowed me to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and effective pedagogy, inspiring students to explore the wonders of the natural world as by studying and understanding the oceans, we can gain valuable insight into essential secrets that our waters hold for the survival of our future generations.

Marine Science and Oceanography Teaching Fellows

Samuel Garson

Friday Harbor High School

2023 Fellow

Sam Garson is a Science and CTE STEM teacher at Friday Harbor High School in Washington State. He has been involved in formal and informal education for 18 years across the US. His work in marine science education really began as the Education Programs Coordinator for the Ocean Exploration Trust, bringing teachers and students out to sea on the E/V Nautilus and sharing the live-streamed ocean exploration through NautilusLive.org. Since returning to classroom teaching he has partnered with the Murdock Charitable Trust Partners in Science Program to help bring the Friday Harbor Labs Ocean Observatory online and share the live data with teachers and students. Most recently he has been completing the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellowship in partnership with IREX while building connections with students and teachers in Morocco.

Marine Science and Oceanography Teaching Fellows

Justin Grimm-Greenblatt

New York City Department of Education

2023 Fellow

Justin Grimm-Greenblatt is a New York City public school teacher and teaches/taught Living Environment, AP Environmental Science, and Forensic Science. Before becoming a teacher, he did research in aquaculture economics for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and on a USAID project. He holds a B.S. in Marine Science from SUNY Stony Brook, M.S. in Integrated Watershed Management and Policy from the University of Connecticut and an M.A. in Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Margarita and 4 year old daughter, Micaela. In his free time he loves to bike with his family and read a lot of nonfiction.

Marine Science and Oceanography Teaching Fellows

Kevin Lunzalu

Kenyan Youth Biodiversity Network

2023 Fellow

Kevin Lunzalu is a Marine Ecologist and Conservation Educator from Kenya. He is deeply interested in co-designing adaptive and inclusive methodologies for disseminating marine science to wider audiences. Kevin co-founded the Kenyan Youth Biodiversity Network, whose primary pillar is to create a movement of well-informed young environmental stewards. He is a Coastal Science and Policy graduate from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Kevin believes transformative education is critical in efficiently addressing modern marine conservation challenges.

Marine Science and Oceanography Teaching Fellows

Kera Mathes

Port Angeles High School

2023 Fellow

Kera Mathes is currently a High School Biology teacher in Port Angeles, WA. Her previous career as a marine biologist in Southern California included a decade at the Aquarium of the Pacific where she led a Citizen Science Whale Research project, created tools and trained on climate change education, and led inquiry based classes.

After transitioning to formal teaching she fell in love with mentoring students and bridging her two passions together; the classroom and marine biology. She continues to bring real world science experiences to the classroom and helps students become more science literate humans. She currently has 4 rescue pups and coaches High School Softball in her free time.

Marine Science and Oceanography Teaching Fellows

Oluseyi Okuneye

Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School

2023 Fellow

Seyi is a dedicated educator with a passion for learning and exploration. He teaches Earth/Space Science, AP Biology and Marine Science at the Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School in Forest Hills, NY. He has extensive experience designing and implementing curriculum that enriches student engagement and learning in the field of Marine/Earth and Space Sciences and the biological sciences. He worked as a STEM educator/associate researcher at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) on a year-long study of Climate modeling of the West African monsoon. Seyi is an Earthwatch Institute Fellow, and a Math For America Fellow. He is a certified DNA barcoding mentor and a certified National Geographic Educator. He also serves on the advisory board of Arizona State University’s NASA funded Infiniscope network.

Seyi believes that students learn best when they are able to position themselves as critical thinkers and view the world from a variety of perspectives through personal and shared experiences.

Seyi is married to Debby and they have an 11 year old son, Gabriel. They love to travel, explore the outdoors, try different foods and meet new people.