| "Because of the changing demographics in our nation, there is an incredible need for multicultural programming." | |
| Michelle Templeton, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary |
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The increasing diversity of the American population means there is no "one size fits all" method for educating the public about coastal resource management issues. To help reach a broader audience, coastal managers in California are working together to provide an array of multicultural programs within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
The effort has been so successful it is becoming a national model for multicultural education in other sanctuaries.
Under the Multicultural Education for Resource Issues Threatening Oceans (MERITO) program, about 25 regional groups are collaborating with the sanctuary to provide after-school and adult education classroom support, field trips, teacher training and resources, college internships, and event support, all aimed at the "diverse communities residing within the sanctuary's watersheds," says MERITO Program Manager Michelle Templeton.
"Because of the changing demographics in our nation, there is an incredible need for multicultural programming," says Templeton, who is herself binational and bilingual. She notes that in Monterey County alone, 47 percent of the people identify themselves as Latino. In the whole State of California, that number is 32 percent.
MERITO, which is the Spanish word for merit, was launched in fall 2002 to help the diverse citizenry living around Monterey Bay "better understand the importance of protecting our resources and their special qualities," Templeton says. She believes that exposing more students and community members to resource issues will, in the long run, contribute to a more diverse National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) workforce.
An after-school program for schools and community groups is in fact one of the many successful MERITO projects.
The Watershed Academy was developed through MERITO's collaboration with nonprofit organizations, state and federal government agencies, schools, and academic institutions. An analysis of gaps in area marine and watershed education indicated a "huge need" for science for fifth through eighth grade students who are learning English as a second language.
The Watershed Academy presents English-learning students with watershed and ocean science issues, and gives them the opportunity to go on field trips that expose them to local resources, often for the first time.
Specially designed academy education materials support state and national standards, and educators receive training on how to implement the program. Fourteen schools and groups currently host the program.
MERITO has created a bilingual Web site and has published the bilingual children's book Coralito's Bay, written by poet and author Juan Felipe Herrera and illustrated by artist Lena Shiffman. Other MERITO projects include education programs for adults learning English, community field experiences, and internships for students from area colleges and universities.
Templeton notes that all MERITO programs are developed with a comprehensive evaluation plan.
The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is working to implement MERITO programming, and other national sanctuaries are interested in using it as a model for multicultural education.
"We have developed this as a model that different agencies can apply and adapt to their own needs," Templeton says. "To make a difference, we need all of our community members to understand the importance of protecting our watersheds, and marine and estuarine resources."
For more information about the MERITO program, point your browser to http://montereybay.nos.noaa.gov/educate/merito/welcome.html. You may also contact Michelle Templeton at (831) 647-4211, or Michelle.Templeton@noaa.gov.
