Teachers connect their students to the wonders of the ocean and the joy of discovery through the exploration of our last frontier. The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation serves as a catalyst to coordinate marine education initiatives like Education Alliance Partnerships that provide educators the tools they need to ignite a passion for science in their students, using ocean exploration expeditions of the R/V Okeanos Explorer.

The Foundation works in cooperation with NOAA’s Office of Exploration and Research for the implementation of the Education Alliance Partnership program, maintaining long-standing Alliances and seeking out new partnerships with selected aquariums, marine science centers, zoos, and/or museums to host two annual professional development workshops for educators at the locally-based partner sites. At these workshops, teachers learn how to use ocean exploration curricula and web-based NOAA science resources in their classrooms. Investing in teachers provides important longevity to the program’s goals, since each educator connects to exponentially more students throughout their career.