Project Assistant：KUO,CHIA-YU

　　Undeterred by Typhoon Gaemi, the Taiwan Marine Education Center successfully concluded the Blue Level Marine Educator Training Program despite the storm. From Pingtung County in southern Taiwan in 2022, to Taichung City in central Taiwan in 2023, and finally Taipei City in northern Taiwan in 2024, the Blue Level Training Program, which is themed around “climate change” and integrates local social education venues and resources, has just completed a comprehensive tour covering the northern, central, and southern regions of Taiwan.

　　This year, the content of the training program was designed to link climate change with everyday life, inspiring marine educators to reflect on ocean conservation and teaching methodologies. In the Marine Sociology course, participants explored strategies and directions for coastal management in the context of climate change and human exploitation. The Marine Humanities course introduced the unique practices and perspectives of indigenous peoples in the utilization of marine resources. In the Marine Natural Sciences course, the effects of climate change on fisheries resources were discussed, encouraging participants to consider various approaches to teaching fish-eating culture. In the Marine Empowerment Education course, despite the visit to the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology was canceled because of the typhoon; nevertheless, the instructor conducted an online session to introduce corals and demonstrate the use of Coral Watch for monitoring coral health. During the course, participants engaged in identifying coral species and assessing their health through online participation. Finally, the Marine Literacy course covered the potential and significance of “blue carbon,” a natural carbon sink, as a crucial factor in achieving net-zero carbon emissions.

　　In addition to the knowledge-based courses, the Marine Activity Planning course introduced games from The Climate Change Playbook, along with the perspectives they aim to convey and the reflections they seek to inspire. In the Marine Lesson Plan Development course, educators were guided to integrate the insights gained from the overall program into their areas of expertise when designing lesson plans. The Marine Community Leadership course provided educators with opportunities to participate in a variety of experiential learning activities, helping them connect and explore with one another while developing and enhancing their leadership skills in managing learning communities.

　　The originally planned five-day Blue Level Training Program was adjusted because of the impact of Typhoon Gaemi. Participants completed two days of online courses, focusing on enhancing their knowledge. This was followed by three days of in-person sessions, which included experiential learning, game-based instruction, and field trips. These activities facilitated interaction among participants, aiming to equip them with the skills required to achieve the program’s goal of enabling educators to organize and lead learning communities in the future.