CORAL REEF ED-VENTURES: A MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN IN BELIZE, CENTRAL AMERICA

Coral reefs, with their beauty and diversity of life, are fascinating to people of all ages. Healthy, well-managed reef systems are of great importance to coastal communities in many tropical countries, but local knowledge of reef ecosystems may be limited, and the study of coral reef natural history commonly is not a part of school curricula. Nonetheless, coral reefs are an ideal topic for teaching even young schoolchildren about fundamental oceanographic, ecologic, and conservation principles. As an outgrowth of a multi-year basic research program to monitor the health of coral reefs in Belize, and in cooperation with the Hol Chan Marine Reserve on Ambergris Caye, students and faculty from Smith College initiated the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures Program in summer 2000. Now in its seventh year, Smith student teachers and up to 70 Belizean schoolchildren from San Pedro, ages 7 to 11, participate in an intensive two-week summer program to learn about coral reefs.

The goals of the program are to increase understanding of a healthy reef ecosystem, to explore how various organisms interact within the reef, and to develop an appreciation for threats to the reef and how to conserve reef resources. The curriculum emphasizes a methodology of critical thinking and inquiry-based science learning – helping children develop observation and recording skills is an integral part of active, hands-on classroom and field trip-based learning experiences. Lessons focus on marine science with a multi-disciplinary and multi-arts approach. Pre-and post-program questionnaires, completed by the children, are used as assessment tools. Upon completion of the program, students present a reef conservation program for their parents and the community illustrating what they have learned. Each child is awarded a Coral Reef Expert card at the Ed-Ventures graduation ceremony.

This year the Smith student teachers were assisted by a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer and the Education Coordinator at Hol Chan. New innovations to the program included a full-day workshop for all teachers in the San Pedro public elementary school. The workshop focused on using the reefs, beaches, and other local resources as tools for teaching. A pilot reef conservation program also was initiated at a more advanced level for children over age 11 who had graduated from last year's program.