Teacher at Sea How to Apply:

Who May Apply
The NOAA Teacher at Sea in CINMS program accepts applications from currently employed K-12 and college/university teachers.

Application Forms
Form A: Participant Application pdf (96KB)
Form B: Administrators Recommendation pdf (84KB)
Form C: Colleague's Recommendation pdf (84KB)
Health Questionaire (required) pdf (337KB)
Vessel Safety Brochure (required) pdf (25KB)

Types of Cruises
Teachers may select a cruise aboard the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary's research vessel SHEARWATER.

Click here for the 2007 field season.

Costs
This is a local recruitment for Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles area teachers. All travel costs incurred during the trip (including food) are covered by the program.

Scuba Diving
Teachers at Sea are not permitted to SCUBA dive even if he or she has been SCUBA certified. If you are interested in information about SCUBA diving, please visit the NOAA Dive Center site.

Criteria for Selection

To be considered for becoming a NOAA Teacher at Sea in CINMS, you will be expected to:

• Provide evidence of good health as determined by a completed medical history and have passed a TB test within 12 months of the sailing date.
• Be currently employed as a K-12 or college teacher.
• Have a unique ability to communicate complicated information to students, with a special interest in NOAA-related science.
• Have a principal/supervisor/department head who is supportive of your endeavor.
• Have superior English language ability (dual language ability is a plus).
• Be comfortable with travel and have no aversions to traveling by airplane or ship.
• Be computer literate.
• The Xantus Murrelets cruises require rock scrambling and jumping from a small boat to rocky shore.

Obligations as a Teacher at Sea

As a NOAA Teacher at Sea in CINMS, you must be willing to fulfill several program requirements during and upon completion of your cruise:

• Keep a daily log during the cruise and take digital photographs while at sea. This log will be posted on the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Website and linked from the NOAA Teacher At Sea website.
• Submit a mini-unit of lessons (8 to 10) based on your experiences at sea. Lessons need to be linked to the California Science Education Standads and Ocean Literacy Concepts and Messages.  (We encourage teachers to employ creative ways to tell their stories.  For example, some teachers have created video documentaries and/or Web sites—the choice is yours.)
• Submit an article for publication OR conduct a presentation about your cruise at an educators' conference or for colleagues.
• Submit a post-cruise evaluation.
• Submit a final travel voucher for reimbursement.

NOAA Teacher At Sea Background:

The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Teacher at Sea (TAS) program is to give teachers a clearer insight into our ocean planet, a greater understanding of maritime work and studies, and to increase their level of environmental literacy by fostering an interdisciplinary research experience. The program provides a unique environment for learning and teaching by sending kindergarten through college-level teachers to sea aboard NOAA research and survey ships to work under the tutelage of scientists and crew. Then, armed with new understanding and experience, teachers bring this knowledge back to their classrooms.  Indeed, the greatest payoff of NOAA's Teacher at Sea program is the enthusiasm for learning more about our ocean planet generated between teachers and students.
Since its inception in 1990, the program has enabled more than 430 teachers to gain first-hand experience of science and life at sea. By participating in this program, it becomes possible for teachers to enrich their classroom curricula with a depth of understanding made possible by living and working side-by-side, day and night, with those who contribute to the world's body of oceanic and atmospheric scientific knowledge.
If you're ready for a life-enriching adventure that will benefit you, your students, and your community you could be our next Teacher at Sea!

Benefits for All

The benefits of NOAA's Teacher at Sea program are substantial for several stakeholders. To begin with, scientists, NOAA Corps officers, and crew gain motivated volunteers to help carry out their projects, and all onboard enjoy hosting someone who is enthusiastic and eager to learn about each aspect of the cruise.
Another crucial benefit offered by the Teacher at Sea program to NOAA and the nation is students' increased exposure to knowledge of marine careers. By talking about their experiences and sharing photos or video taken during a cruise, teachers can encourage their students to consider potential marine careers with NOAA or other science-based organizations.
And perhaps most importantly, the program serves NOAA's mission by promoting among teachers and their students a greater awareness of the need to understand and protect the world's oceans and their resources.
The feedback from teachers who have participated in the program is overwhelmingly positive.  Teachers underscore the fact that not only do they themselves benefit from what they learn on their cruises, but so do their students, communities, and the environment in general.