Maryland Sea Grant is seeking applications for our Assistant Director for Communications and an Aquaculture Projects and National Extension Coordinator. More details.
A growing number of educators in Maryland and across the nation are discovering that aquaculture offers an effective tool for teaching science and an excellent vehicle for project-based learning (PBL).
Aquaculture is interdisciplinary — understanding how it functions requires a grasp of applied skills in physics (water flow dynamics), chemistry (water quality monitoring), and biology (fish and plant culture).
Maryland Sea Grant and University of Maryland Extension have developed an educational program called Aquaculture in Action (AinA) for K-12 science teachers. It is based on a model created in close partnership with the Carroll County Public Schools and the county's Science Research course instructors beginning in 1996.
Today, AinA is being implemented in 22 schools across 8 Maryland counties and Baltimore City. In 2016, a new partnership with Hawaii Sea Grant introduced 10 schools in that state to aquaculture as a tool for teaching science.
The success of the AinA program is built upon its five fundamental elements:
We encourage you to contact us if you are interested in joining the network!