SY008-02
Online capacity building for ocean sciences in West Africa

Monday, 7 December 2020: 16:06
Virtual
Madeline Foster-Martinez, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States, Paige Martin, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, United States, Winn Johnson, University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, United States, Emily Shroyer, Oregon State Univ, Corvallis, OR, United States, Joseph K Ansong, University of Ghana, Department of Mathematics, Accra, Ghana, Madelyn Karman Cook, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI, United States, Christian Buckingham, IUEM (Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer), LOPS (Laboratoire d'Océanographie Physique et Spatiale), UBO, CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, Plouzané, France, Edem Mahu, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana, Brian K Arbic, University of Michigan, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI, United States and The Coastal Ocean Environmental Summer School in Ghana Team (coessing.org)
Abstract:
The Coastal Ocean and Environment Summer School in Ghana (COESSING) is a multi-institutional and multi-national effort aimed at engagement and capacity building in coastal environmental science. COESSING brings together a diverse set of participants-- undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, faculty, and other professionals from numerous West African countries (e.g., Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon)--for an intense, one-week summer program with integrated lectures and hands-on activities. The summer school was held in-person for five years, but as a result of the global pandemic, it was moved to an entirely online format in 2020. The transition posed significant practical challenges related to limited internet resources and conversion of in-person content, and instructors struggled to recreate in-person interactions that had previously proved critical for participant growth. However, the move to an online format provided an opportunity for growth as well. Positive aspects of the school’s online presence included (1) greater numbers of participants, (2) improved accessibility of course materials, and (3) a more comprehensive curriculum, including new topics and experiences (e.g., addition of a Women in STEM panel). In this presentation, we describe several aspects of the online COESSING 2020 program with an emphasis on its successes, surprises, and failures. While the crisis caused by COVID-19 challenged our ability to effectively communicate and engage with participants, it also enabled us to have a wider impact within the community. In summary, though we anticipate there is no replacement for sustained, in-person interaction, we nevertheless anticipate a much larger online presence in years to come.
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