In an effort to increase the reach and impact of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS), we are offering an Education Day initiative as part of the 57th CMOS Congress. Our ambition is to engage youth in the “real world” of oceanography and meteorology with the ultimate goal of fostering interest in—and understanding of—these fields of science.
This year, Education Day will involve several different educational opportunities for middle to high school aged youth: (1) two online education sessions (one in English and one in French) to be available to all grade 7 – 12 classes across the country, and (2) a field trip for four local classes to the Congress venue in St. John’s to participate in a mini workshop series. Both options are free to attend, although there is limited space for the in-person workshop series (see below for details).
Online Education Sessions:
The Ocean and Climate Change
1:00 – 1:45 pm (NDT) | May 31
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Session leaders strive to empower youth by sharing important information about what will likely be the most defining topic of their time. Students will propose positive actions they themselves can be part of and most importantly, acknowledge the difficult feelings that they may have, offering space for processing when learning about such extreme events. Our goal is to promote climate awareness, literacy and action among young people and to leave them feeling optimistic about a future that is sustainable and just for all.
Although this session is designed for teachers to use in the classroom, youth interested in participating on their own are also welcome. Participation will require access to the internet via a computer or mobile device. More specific details will be provided to participants prior to the event.
View a promotional poster about this event. Please feel free to share widely.
Questions? Contact us at:
Class Field Trip for Mini Workshop Series:
An Introduction to Oceanography and Meteorology
Approx. 9:30 am – 1:30 pm (NDT)* | May 31
*Although the field trip will happen in the morning, CMOS has some flexibility on the specific start and end times. We will work with participating schools to finalize the start/end times.
CMOS has teamed up with a variety of educational and scientific partners to offer four middle and high school classes in the St. John’s region the opportunity to take part in a mini-workshop series that will immerse learners in the world of oceanography and meteorology. Students will rotate through four workshops, each approximately 30 minutes in length followed by a pizza lunch. A brief description of each workshop is provided below. Transportation and pizza lunch costs will be provided by CMOS.
Unfortunately we only have the capacity to accomodate four classes.
Climate Science
Educators from the Conservation Corps of NL will introduce the science behind the rise in global temperature and the subsequent physical, social, economical and emotional impacts of this dramatic shift on the earth and its inhabitants. Session leaders strive to empower youth by sharing important information about what will likely be the most defining topic of their time. Students will propose positive actions they themselves can be part of and most importantly, acknowledge the difficult feelings that they may have, offering space for processing when learning about such extreme events. Our goal is to promote climate awareness, literacy and action among young people and to leave them feeling optimistic about a future that is sustainable and just for all.
Ocean Technology
Experts from the Marine Institute at Memorial University will demonstrate leading ocean technologies including wave buoys, remotely operated vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles as they discuss the technical innovations that help us study and better understand the ocean.
Explore the Gully
The Ocean School team will take students on a virtual adventure to Atlantic Canada’s first marine protected area, the Gully. Students will discover its oceanographic features using a large format map and an augmented reality application, all co-developed by Ocean School, the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition, and Canadian Geographic.
Weather and Water
Climate change is resulting in more heavy rain leading to flooding as well as more heat and drought. Students and teachers will learn activities how to adapt to changing precipitation patterns using resources from Project WET and citizen science measurements from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS).
Questions? Contact us at:
