In collaboration with multiple partners, ONC’s Learning & Community Engagement team has co-created two online toolkits offered through Ocean Week Canada; one targets postsecondary students and early career professionals, and the other is suited for K-12 educators.
The Postsecondary & Early Career toolkit was curated by Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOP) Canada and ONC. The toolkit is geared towards individuals within and outside of the ocean sector who are looking to explore opportunities in this area, or expand their knowledge on topics affecting ocean health. Aside from professional development and career resources, users may learn about environmental challenges and become more familiar with Canada’s blue economy.
Postsecondary & Early Career toolkit
The Schools #1 toolkit was crafted by the Canadian Network for Ocean Education (CaNOE) and ONC, and is designed for educators across Canada. It includes curated ocean education resources and curriculum connections for each province/territory for a K-12 audience. Utilizing the principle of cyclical learning, where topics are explored through more than one theme, its resources centre around the themes of sustainability, technology, “ocean is life”, and more. This toolkit offers a unique opportunity to explore videos, lesson plans, infographics, and websites with multiple ways of knowing such as place-based learning and hands-on activities. Whether the classroom is coastal or inland, users will explore the connections between the ocean, its ecosystems, and us.
Schools #1 toolkit
In June 2022, the national annual celebration Ocean Week Canada (OWC) was launched to help raise public awareness and connection to the ocean, coastal areas, and watersheds in Canada. Through this initiative, coordinated by the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition (COLC), these free online toolkits were designed to encourage diverse audiences to engage with the ocean, from education resources to career and development opportunities.
The toolkits are one of the outcomes of the UN Ocean Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Ocean Week Canada strives to strengthen ocean literacy throughout the “Ocean Decade.” COLC’s National Ocean Literacy Strategy states that part of the vision for ocean literacy at the end of the UN Ocean Decade is that “Canadians’ connections to local waterways and the ocean will be strengthened by increased access to water, coasts, and the ocean through reimagined public spaces, mainstreamed water-ocean storytelling, educational experiences, community science, and more.”
ONC is promoting these toolkits to students and educators throughout Canada. You can find the toolkit collection on Ocean Week Canada’s webpage.
