National Ocean Sciences Bowl: Inspiring Tomorrow's Leaders

Consortium For Ocean Leadership, Inc, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This award to Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) provides continued funding of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB), a national competition for high school students that focuses on their knowledge of ocean science. The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB®)was established in 1998 by COL. The program runs a nationally recognized high school academic competition that provides a forum for students to excel in science, mathematics and technology and introduces team members, their teacher/coaches, schools and communities to ocean sciences as an interdisciplinary field of study and a possible future career path. The basic model for NOSB is that of a two-tiered timed competition in which pairs of four-student teams answer multiple-choice, short-answer and critical thinking questions within multiple categories related to the oceans. The primary goals for the program are to: (1) Cultivate environments which develop knowledgeable ocean stewards that understand the ocean's impact on daily life and the importance of current scientific research; (2) Foster the use of the ocean as an interdisciplinary vehicle to teach science and mathematics and encourage the inclusion of the ocean sciences in curriculum; (3) Reach out to and support the involvement of under-represented and geographically diverse communities in the ocean sciences; and (4) Provide students with interactive education and career opportunities that develop critical thinking and workforce development skills, and provide exposure to ocean science professionals. Most funding for the NOSB is provided by NOAA via a separate grant to COL. Other agencies provide support for various aspects of the program. This award provides funds to 1) create online professional development seminars for teachers and student mentors that focus on current research and on the fundamental principles and concepts of ocean literacy and STEM education; (2) enhance the Regional Coordinators (RC) training program; and (3) execute a research study on career paths and outcomes for participants to document and assess the role that the program plays in encouraging talented students to enter the STEM pipeline. The NOSB has received national recognition for both the high quality of the competition content and the mentoring and other enhancements provided for students and teachers. This award will support several activities that are important to the overall success of the NOSB. Year-to-year evaluations of the program consistently indicate that NOSB is well organized and well run and that it is successful at encouraging students to consider STEM degrees in college. The program will provide opportunities for hundreds of high school students and their teachers to improve their interest and understanding of science, particularly ocean science and ocean science careers.