Educating with ArcGIS StoryMaps to Promote Ocean Literacy and to Highlight Connections Between Generations, Cultures, and Disciplines

Abstract:

This education project calls attention to the complex challenges within our ocean environment and the achievable solutions that can be reached by connecting across generations, cultures, and disciplines. To prepare for action during the UN Decade of Ocean Science, it is important to ensure that audiences of all ages and beyond STEM fields are prepared with fundamental ocean knowledge, and that we recognize the importance of all voices to contribute to the conversations and conservation efforts. To encourage and highlight multidisciplinary thinking and approaches, ArcGIS StoryMaps are utilized to present ocean stories with multimedia material to provide a better understanding of what is necessary to create a sustainable ocean.

The research for the StoryMap collection relied on presentations from virtual conferences in June-July 2020, including Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2020, the Virtual Ocean Literacy Summit, the 2020 National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) Virtual Student Conference, and the Blue Hope Conservation Roundtable. Three themes emerged from the speakers across these national/international conferences: connections across generations, connections across cultures, and connections across disciplines, with an emphasis on youth engagement, indigenous knowledge, and multidisciplinary approaches.

This new collection of StoryMaps is titled The Power of Connections: Highlighting the Importance of Generations, Cultures, and Disciplines in Relation to Solving the Challenges Facing Our Ocean. The stories are written to be accessible by students and the general public, as communicating the importance of the ocean allows for greater mobilization to ensure a sustainable ocean for the present and future. To further expand the educational reach of this StoryMap collection, each StoryMap is presented in both English and Spanish. The next step is to share these StoryMaps with middle and high school teachers to use with students for formal and informal learning.

By educating people about why the ocean is important, the power is instilled in individuals and communities to advocate and take action for the ocean to ensure sustainable development of the ocean for the next decade and beyond. This collection of StoryMaps can be found at: https://bit.ly/thepowerofconnections