The WISE NL - Statoil Speaker Series is a regularly scheduled event, open to the public and designed to tell the story of women’s contributions in science and engineering. The series features notable women who speak on science and engineering related topics and who complete the narrative with personal perspectives.
When
Tuesday May 13, 2014 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM NDT
Contact
Vesna Kerezi, Speaker Series CoordinatorWISE NL
864-2484 or 727-7883
speaker.series@wisenl.ca
The value of marine education
All Aboard!: Using experiential learning to excite K-12 students about STEM, foster connection to nature and enrich classroom learning with Chelise Archibald
Did you know that half the oxygen you breathe comes not from trees by phytoplankton in the ocean? Or that the tallest mountains on the planet is not Mount Everest, but Mauna Loa, most of which is under the Pacific Ocean? Chelsie Archibald, Manager of Field Programs at the Oceans Learning Partnership is passionate about ocean education for youth and will share her thoughts on the value of experiential outdoor education as a tool to spark curiosity about the ocean environment, allow for greater appreciation for the complexity of ocean processes, enrich classroom learning and potentially inspire a future career related to the oceans. She will also share key experiences that shaped her own career path to date.
Mini is Mighty: The making of the Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium with Melanie Knight
The story begun when Melanie stumbled into a little aquarium in Ucluelet ,BC in 2003 and found out that sea stars had eyes. That moment changed her whole life and inspired her career in marine education. As founder of a Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium in Newfoundland, Melanie’s journey to achieve the ‘Big Hairy Audacious Goal’ of starting an aquarium in Newfoundland was both extremely challenging and remarkably rewarding. Together along with an amazing team of incredible volunteers and staff, the Mini Aquarium’s first season was a huge success, exceeded all of benchmarks - while igniting the community around it.
About the Authors
Chelsie Archibald is originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia and formed a deep fascination with the ocean early on. Her family moved to Ontario for much of her growing-up, but her interest never waned. She returned to the east coast to pursue a BSc. in Marine Biology at Dalhousie University, despite not knowing any adult that was a ‘scientist’, let alone a marine biologist. Her experiences during university revealed her interest in marine research and fieldwork, and she went on to complete a Masters degree at University of Otago in New Zealand. She then worked on research projects with the Census of Marine Life, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Stantec. Along the winding path she had opportunities to teach university field courses and outdoor education programs and in this role she discovered her enthusiasm for teaching, and the transformative power of experiential learning. She joined the non-profit organization Ocean Learning Partnership in 2013 and feels fortunate to have the opportunity to create hands-on programs that excite K-12 students in Newfoundland and Labrador about the ocean in our own backyard.
Melanie Knight is the Founder and Executive Director of the Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium in Petty Harbour Newfoundland. After completed her BSc in Marine Biology with a minor in business from Memorial University of Newfoundland, Melanie worked at the Vancouver Aquarium as a marine educator and manager of volunteers. For the past 10 years, Melanie has been working with the largest and the smallest aquariums in Canada to foster curiosity for the underwater world. Melanie is also a consultant and trainer in volunteer engagement and fundraising.
