Reaching out in new ways: Working with alternative schools and underrepresented groups to improve ocean literacy through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Ocean Exploration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Ocean Exploration (OE) was born out of a growing national concern over the state of the ocean, and out of the urgent need for a better understanding of our ocean globally. The US Government empowered a panel of experts in 2000 to develop a national strategy for ocean exploration and the result was a report titled Discovering Earth's Final Frontier: A U.S. Strategy for Ocean Exploration [4]. Created in direct response to the recommendations of this panel, OE has funded a multitude of expeditions and projects to gain a more thorough understanding of little-known or unknown ocean regions. With the establishment of OE, NOAA developed an opportunity to reach out in new ways to teachers, students, and the general public to share the excitement of daily discoveries while at sea and to demonstrate the cutting-edge technology and science behind these exploration initiatives. Ten percent of OE program funds are invested in a robust and diverse Education and Outreach Program designed to support Key Objective 4 of the President's Panel Report. This objective specifically calls for reaching out in new ways to stakeholders to improve the literacy of learners with respect to ocean issues. As exciting expeditions are the core of our NOAA program, education and outreach efforts are focused around these missions. Through various initiatives, OE works with traditional and non-traditional programs to provide opportunities to enhance ocean literacy.