The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) hosted two educator workshops on June 28, on St. Thomas and June 30, on St. Croix, to demonstrate hands-on, interactive lessons from the newly released USVI Marine Debris Curriculum. The curriculum includes 12 lessons for middle and high school students and highlights marine debris composition and abundance, sources and transport, impacts, and solutions. It also spotlights 16 locally relevant research projects and individuals working on marine debris issues. The curriculum was co-created by the Virgin Islands Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research at UVI (VI EPSCoR) and 61 Virgin Islands educators in workshops in 2016 and 2018. Kits are now available on loan with supplies for educators to implement these lessons in the classroom with funding from the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (VIDPNR).  

Thirty-seven educators attended the workshops from 15 schools across the territory, in addition to individuals from the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources and the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum. Attendees shared that “the hands-on activities were very meaningful” and “no matter what you teach, you can make an impact on the environment with these lessons.”  

More information is available in a news release on the Media Section of the UVI Website-www.uvi.edu/ - and from this direct link.