COSIA is a 3 year, NSF-funded project that develops partnerships between universities and informal science education institutions such as aquariums and science centers. Through these partnerships, we help the next generation of ocean scientists learn how to more effectively communicate with the public about their research and their passion for ocean sciences. COSIA is a project of the Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence—California (COSEE-CA) at the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS), University of California, Berkeley.

COSIA partners developed a COSIA course that prepares university students to teach the public about ocean science concepts. The COSIA course is based on the award-winning Communicating Ocean Sciences course developed at LHS through COSEE-CA and taught at over a dozen universities and colleges around the country. This June, there will be a workshop held at UC Berkeley for those interested in offering either course at their institution. Download the workshop flyer (available in both Word and .pdf formats) to get more information or to find out how to apply.

COSIA is also developing a web-enabled library of inquiry-based activities for students to use when they teach in aquariums and science centers.  The activities are grounded in current educational theory, and can be used by any informal science education institution interested in using inquiry and rigorous science content to teach visitors about the ocean.

If you’d like to know more about COSIA or how your university, aquarium or science center can offer the COSIA course, contact us anytime.

Check Out Our Video

COSIA Project Director – Catherine Halversen

COSIA Project Co-Director – Craig Strang

COSIA Project Manager – Lynn Tran

Or call us at 510.643.0311 or 510.642.5008

Related Projects  COSEE-CA, MARE, Ocean Literacy

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0540417. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.