Cool Seas Roadshow
UK
Key Objective:
The Cool Seas Roadshow (CSR) is the MCS’s flagship educational programme. For the past five years the CSR has been evaluated using conventional printed feedback forms. Analysis of this feedback has shown that pupils and teachers place high value on the visual impact of and opportunities for interaction with the inflatable props, the passion and knowledge of the presenter and the CSR action packs.
Why this is important:
Over 50% of the UK’s wildlife lives beneath the waves, but few people have the opportunity to appreciate and enjoy the astonishing diversity of life within our seas. The marine environment is out of sight and out of mind to most of the British public, largely due to its inaccessibility and the common perception that it is a dark, cold and inhospitable environment. Though many people visit the coast, their enjoyment is often limited to the traditional day at the beach and doesn’t extend to a deeper appreciation of the value and diversity of the UK coast.
Background
CSR is the MCS’s flagship educational initiative and uses life-size, life-like inflatable whale, dolphin, seal, turtle and shark props in fascinating and interactive awareness-raising workshops aimed at primary school pupils and teachers across the UK. Since its launch in 2006, the CSR has proved extremely popular and the Roadshow has consistently been oversubscribed.
So far, the Roadshow has visited over 300 schools and presented to well over 150,000 children. After each school MCS Cool Seas Action Packs are distributed to all participants, delivering key marine conservation messages directly to households. Classroom posters, Save Our Seas Foundation schoolbooks and curriculum-linked online MCS resources are also made available to every school to enable teachers and pupils to continue teaching and learning. MCS is also building on existing online resources to develop a virtual Cool Seas Roadshow to make the Roadshow content accessible to schools that are unable to secure a visit as well as expanding post-roadshow learning opportunities.
Aims and Objectives
- To present 12 school weeks (60 days) of Cool Seas Roadshow workshops at Primary Schools and selected public events throughout the UK.
- To develop and integrate new interactive CSR content, including a video and associated activities, into the existing presentation format.
- To enhance the feedback and evaluation mechanisms for teachers and pupils in order to develop and improve CSR style and content.
Project leader:
Peter Richardson
Partners:
Marine Conservation Society
Related threat:
Years funded:
2010-2011
Cool Seas Roadshow
— .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 13 February, 2012
Since we last blogged in September, the Cool Seas Roadshow has toured Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire and West Sussex in England, as well as Powys and Carmarthenshire in Wales. This month Andy will be in Kent and Cornwall, and next month…
Cool Seas Roadshow
— .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), 28 September, 2011
So, the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) Cool Seas Roadshow is underway and bigging up our beautiful cool seas and amazing marine wildlife ‘up north’ in England. Last week touring Morecombe and Lancaster in Lancashire, this week the Roadshow is in…