Project Assistant：CHEN,YUN-SHEN

　　To promote ocean literacy education in Taiwan, the TMEC at NTOU has been commissioned by the Ocean Affairs Council of Taiwan to implement the Marine Education Implementation Project. As part of this initiative, the “Ocean Literacy Seed Teacher Training Program” was held from May 23 to 25, 2025, at NTOU. The program trained 200 seed teachers, providing them with enhanced knowledge and pedagogical skills related to ocean literacy, thereby increasing the effectiveness of marine education across schools in Taiwan.

　　To establish a systematic framework for ocean literacy education, the National Academy of Marine Research under the Ocean Affairs Council began collaboration in 2021 with the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley (California, USA), and the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University (New Jersey, USA). Such collaboration has resulted in the official introduction of the “Ocean Science Sequence” (OSS) curriculum, published by the education division of the NOAA, into Taiwan’s educational system. Emphasizing inquiry-based learning, the OSS curriculum guides educators and students in exploring foundational concepts in marine science and in understanding the interconnectedness between humans and the ocean. It serves as a solid pedagogical foundation and reference for advancing ocean literacy education in Taiwan.

　　Officials from the Ocean Affairs Council and the Ministry of Education of Taiwan, together with President Tai-Wen Hsu of the NTOU, attended the opening ceremony of the training program, collectively affirming that enhancing ocean literacy is a shared national responsibility. In the face of climate change and environmental challenges, prospective teachers are expected to guide students in becoming a part of a new ocean-conscious generation. It is hoped that trained teachers will return with not only instructional materials but also the momentum to drive meaningful change.

　　The training program invited a team of instructors well-versed in the OSS curriculum to conduct training sessions to assist participating teachers in developing suitable curriculum content and teaching strategies. The program included workshops on curriculum content, lesson planning, and instructional design. Moreover, the program outlined future activities, such as in-school teaching implementation, ocean knowledge competitions, and instructional outcome sharing. This program seeks to cultivate a group of prospective teachers equipped with core ocean literacy and the ability to apply OSS materials effectively. These educators will play a key role in helping schools at all levels across Taiwan establish sustainable marine education frameworks. The broader goal is to institutionalize ocean literacy by embedding it more deeply within the school system and extending its reach to the wider community, thereby enhancing students’ understanding of and commitment to ocean stewardship.