Oceanography outreach and education in informal and non-formal learning environments

Good outreach programmes for promoting public awareness and education in marine sciences are key ingredients to stimulate students interest on these research fields. However, though many scientists have always been individually active in outreach programmes, only recently these activities became part of more coordinated actions. The Italian Institute for Marine Science of CNR (ISMAR) has undertaken, in the last years, several projects aimed at the dissemination of its scientific research fields with the partnerships with other research institutions and schools, through contribution to science festivals and scientific museum [1] and organization of events. But marine sciences cover many topics: visible and amazing phenomena like those related to marine flora and fauna, biodiversity, under water volcanoes, tsunami etc. They are suitable for a public exhibition or educational programme for schools, as they easily catch the attention of a non-experts audience and can be often explained with the aid of direct observation. Other phenomena, like the ones related to the ocean physical and chemical parameters and their influence over ocean circulation and climate changes, rarely have been subjects of science projects in schools, due to the intrinsic difficulty to introduce and represent them in a simplified scheme. Also, for that reason, the target age of didactic projects focused on such topics is the high school. Lower level classes (primary and lower secondary schools) are usually not considered, while a recent study on the science perception, that is currently carried by the research centres based in La Spezia on a large sample of student population shows that 6 and 13 years old students are the best target for increasing young people's interest toward science (pers. Communication, Science Outreach Group of La Spezia). In order to fill this gap ISMAR U.O.S. of La Spezia, whose lines of research are mainly focused on physical oceanography, marine technology, outreach and science education, has set up, in collaboration with Associazione Casa della Scienza of Parma 1 , two interactive workshops aimed at introducing and explaining concepts like buoyancy and Archimede's principle, density and specific weight, and formation of ocean currents, for students and childrenfrom 8 to 14 years old.