This award provides funding to the University of Hawaii and partners to create a Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence - Island Earth (COSEE-IE). With a broad base of collaborators in the private sector, state and federal government, formal and informal education, COSEE IE proposes to build a collaborative network that connects ocean research and teaching with traditional knowledge in order to facilitate active engagement in stewardship by all ocean users. This Center will focus on: [1] providing scientists with opportunities and guidance for improved involvement in Broader Impact activities; [2] creating opportunities for ocean scientists and groups who educate tourists in Hawaii to interact (i.e. ocean tour operators and lifeguards); and [3] connecting modern research, traditional knowledge, and ocean policy, for example by incorporating Native Hawaiian Traditional Knowledge into the COSEE Communicating Ocean Science Course.
