Village Marine Science Outreach

This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Services intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition to Seward Association of the Advancement of Marine Science dba the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC)for a cooperative agreement in the amount of $42,997 to cooperatively complete the project described below. STATUTORY AUTHORITY: 16 USC 1g, Agreements for the Transfer of Appropriated Funds to Carry Out NPS Programs. STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN: OVERVIEW The unique nature of Alaska, with its many rural and remote villages, provides the challenge of getting quality marine science education to students in schools which are usually multi-grade facilities with minimal staff support. Staff members of both Kenai Fjords National Park and the Alaska SeaLife Center have been successfully taking science to these students for the past ten years. In a state with such an abundance of science, natural resources, and students longing to understand them ¿ the OASLC Village Outreach Program is a natural fit. With a track record of success and a recent increase in teacher participation and frequency of outreach trips, this program has the potential for continued growth and even greater success as schools are looking for unique, cost-effective, and inquiry-based learning experiences for their students. STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN Village outreach trips are conducted jointly by the ASLC and NPS staff. Villages are chosen in collaboration. Content for lessons are contributed by both ASLC and NPS staff and lessons are designed by the ASLC. Staff from both ASLC and NPS travel to the villages and both present lessons and programs related to marine and park resources. NPS staff will give a presentation on jobs and careers opportunities in the NPS. Objectives 1. To share the scientific research and information available at both the Alaska SeaLife Center and Kenai Fjords National Park with teachers and students across Alaska in an effort to create a climate of ocean stewardship through understanding of the natural resources and unique features of our local oceans, seas and coastal communities. 2. To inspire continued education in STEM-related content through exposure to science, technology, and careers related to stewardship of Alaska¿s oceans and their resources. 3. To provide quality education content on marine research and glaciers from the ASLC and the NPS-KEFJ, who are uniquely qualified on these subjects, to all students in Alaska. 4. Four week-long outreach trips between August 2014 and June 2015: ¿ Northwest Arctic Borough School District sites in consultation with NPS office in Kotzebue (2 educators). Goals include 1-4 schools and <750 students. ¿ Nome and Bering Strait School District sites, in consultation with the Nome office (2 educators). Goals include 1-4 schools and <500 students. ¿ Chatham School District or other area of priority to the Glacier Bay office (1 educator). Goals include 1-3 sites and <120 students. ¿ Priority communities in the Lake & Peninsula School District, in consultation with the Katmai and Lake Clark offices (1 educator). Goals include 1-3 sites and <120 students. 5. Two week-long outreach trips to the schools in Port Graham and Nanwalek between August 2014 and June 2015. During the first visit, ASLC educators will begin a dialogue with the students and will work with teachers to establish a long-term project for the school year. Between visits, ASLC educators will stay in touch with classes to continue the dialogue and to use the resources of the aquarium to highlight certain lessons (e.g., mammals swimming in their tanks to discuss different methods of locomotion.) 6. Assessment results that will inform future outreach goals and methods. RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT The Alaska SeaLife Center will work with NPS to identify villages and schools to visit. The ASLC take the lead on developing marine science lessons focused at appropriate grade levels. Examples of lessons adaptations of marine birds and mammals, comparative anatomy of marine invertebrates, comparative anatomy of vertebrates, and investigative science using the scientific method focused on walruses. The ASLC will also take the lead on delivering lessons in each of the identified villages. The ASLC shall establish long term contact with schools in Port Graham and Nanwalek in order to develop a long term school project and to deliver lessons throughout the school year from their facilities and resources in Seward using distance learning technology. Finally the ASLC will be responsible for conducting evaluations of the village outreach lessons from teachers and students in order to inform future outreach goals and lessons. 3. Collaboratively choose schools and villages for outreach trips with NPS staff. 4. Provide content and develop lessons focused on marine science for K-12 students. 5. Provide staff to travel to villages and deliver lessons. 6. Establish a long term project with students in Port Graham and Nanwalek, maintain contact throughout the school year, and between visits deliver lessons focused on resources present at the ASLC using distance learning technology. 7. Conduct evaluations with teachers and students to inform future outreach goals and lessons. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT Substantial involvement on the part of the National Park Service is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. In particular, the National Park Service will be responsible for the following: 1. Collaboratively choose schools and villages for outreach trips with ASLC staff. 2. Provide content and develop programs focused on park natural and cultural resources for K-12 students. 3. Provide staff to travel to Port Graham, Nanwalek and when possible other villages to deliver lessons and programs (NPS Travel is not part of the cost proposed and will be processed outside this agreement). 4. Develop and present program to inform students and village youth about jobs and career opportunities in the National Park Service. SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION: Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award . The National Park Service did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria: (4) Unique Qualifications ¿ The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications;The focus of the village outreach program is on ocean science and issues with a strong emphasis on engaging rural schools in Alaska. The Alaska SeaLife Center is a leader in both conducting marine science in the state of Alaska and educating rural pre-K-12 grade students on the results. They are the only educational institution (non-profit, for profit or government) within the state that has a state wide reach to rural pre-K-12 grade schools. This is particularly important for schools not located near the Gulf of Alaska. Since its inception in 1998 the Alaska SeaLife Center has been sharing scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska's marine ecosystems through educational programs to all ages. Throughout that time the ASLC has engaged in village outreach efforts like the project described in this task agreement. They have demonstrated both a commitment and excellence in conducting educational outreach to rural schools. The ASLC has demonstrated knowledge and skills that put them in a position of leadership in informal education. Each of the ASLC educational staff are certified informal science educators. In addition, the ASLC provides training to staff at other institutions, for example the Anchorage Museum, on informal education. The ASLC also conducts teacher workshops and training for individuals wishing to become Certified Interpretive Guides through the National Association of Interpreters (NAI). The ASLC has also received three Pinnacle Awards in 2008, 2011 and 2013, along with two honorable mentions in 2009 and 2010. Pinnacle Awards are presented by the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) to institutions providing content for distance learning and informal education programs. Awardees are selected based on teacher evaluations. There are only four entities in the state of Alaska providing marine science outreach to grade school children: The Sitka Sound Science Center, The Prince William Sound Science Center, the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, and the Alaska SeaLife Center. The first three are limited in scope and mission to their local areas, and all are on the Gulf of Alaska, in the southern part of the state. The villages in this project are spread out throughout the state. The ASLC is the only institution with both the experience and scope to reach all the villages in this project.Technical contact information: Benjamin Pister, [email protected], 907-422-0501, National Park Service, Alaska Region, End of FOA