Ukwazisa: Inyathelo leHlabathi leCommunity Ocean Engagement

Enye yeenkumbulo zam zokuqala zokuba nenxaxheba kwiprogram yemfundo yaselwandle yayikwinkampu yebanga lesithandathu kwiCatalina Island Marine Institute, isikolo sangaphandle esisekelwe kwi-STEM esibonelela ngemfundo yenzululwazi yolwandle kubafundi bamabanga aphantsi, aphakathi naphakamileyo. 

Ithuba lokuya esiqithini kunye nabantwana endifunda nabo kunye nootitshala - kwaye ndithathe inxaxheba kwiilebhu zesayensi, ukunyuka kwezendalo, ukuhamba nge-snorkeling ebusuku, i-tidepooling, kunye neminye imisebenzi - yayingenakulibaleka, kunye nocelomngeni, umdla, kunye nokunye. Ndiyakholelwa ukuba oku kuxa ulwazi lwam lolwandle lwaqala ukukhula.

Kwiminyaka yakutshanje, iimpembelelo ezahlukeneyo kunye nehlabathi jikelele zobhubhani we-COVID-19, utshintsho lwemozulu, kunye neminye imiba iye yazisa ingqwalasela ebukhali ukungalingani obekusoloko kukho kuluntu lwethu. Imfundo yaselwandle nayo injalo. Uphando lubonise ukufikelela kulwazi lokufunda nolwandle njengenkalo yokufunda kunye nekhondo lekhondo lekhondo elisebenzayo belikade lingalingani. Ingakumbi kubantu bomthonyama kunye nabantu abambalwa.

Inyathelo leGlobal Engagement yoLwandle loLuntu

Sifuna ukuqinisekisa ukuba uluntu lwemfundo yaselwandle lubonakalisa uluhlu olubanzi lweembono zonxweme nolwandle, iinqobo ezisemgangathweni, amazwi, kunye neenkcubeko ezikhoyo kwihlabathi jikelele. Ngoko ke sinebhongo ngokuphehlelela elona nyathelo lethu litsha, iCommunity Ocean Engagement Global Initiative (COEGI), namhlanje ngoSuku lweHlabathi lweLwandle lowama-2022.

I-COEGI izinikele ekuxhaseni uphuhliso lweenkokeli zoluntu lwemfundo yaselwandle kunye nokuxhobisa abafundi bayo yonke iminyaka ukuba baguqulele ukufunda nolwandle kwisenzo solondolozo. 

Indlela yokufunda yolwandle ye-TOF igxile kwithemba, isenzo, kunye nokutshintsha kokuziphatha, isihloko esinzima esixoxwa nguMongameli we-TOF uMark J. Spalding yethu blog ngo-2015. Umbono wethu kukudala ufikelelo olulinganayo kwiinkqubo zemfundo yaselwandle kunye namakhondo emisebenzi kwihlabathi liphela. Ngokukodwa ngokucetyiswa, ukufunda ngokubonakalayo, uphuhliso lwabasebenzi, imfundo yoluntu, kunye nophuhliso lwekharityhulam,

Ngaphambi kokujoyina i-TOF, ndasebenza iminyaka engaphezu kweshumi njengomfundisi waselwandle Izihlanganisi zoLwandle.

Ndincedise ekubandakanyeni abafundi abangama-38,569 beK-12 eUnited States naseMexico kwimfundo yaselwandle, ukubuyisela indawo yokuhlala, nokuzonwabisa ngonxweme. Ndazibonela ngokwam ukunqongophala kwemfundo esekwe elwandle, ukufunda isicelo, kunye nophando lwesayensi kwizikolo zikarhulumente - Ingakumbi kwiindawo ezihlala imivuzo ephantsi. Kwaye ndachukunyiswa yindlela yokujongana nomsantsa "wolwazi-inyathelo". Oku kuzisa omnye weyona miqobo ibalulekileyo kwinkqubela phambili yokwenyani kwicandelo lolondolozo lwaselwandle.

Ndakhuthazwa ukuba ndiqhubele phambili nemfundo yam ngokuya kwisikolo esiphumelele isidanga kwiZiko leScripps leOceanography. Kulapho ndafumana ithuba lokubuyela eCatalina Island kwakhona okokuqala ukusukela kwibanga lesithandathu. Ukubuyela kanye kwindawo eyabangela umdla wam ekuqaleni kwinzululwazi yaselwandle kwaba yinguqulelo kum. Ukukhwela iikaya, ukuhamba ngenqanawa emanzini, nokuqhuba izifundo nabanye abafundi beScripps eCatalina Island kwavusa imimangaliso endavakalelwa ngayo ebuntwaneni.

Ngokusebenzisa i-COEGI, zezi ntlobo kanye zamathuba emfundo okwakhayo esithemba ukuwazisa kwabo ngokwesiko bangenalwazi, ukufikelela, okanye ukumelwa kwinkalo yolwazi lokufunda nolwandle okanye inzululwazi yaselwandle ngokubanzi. Ndiyazi ngokobuqu ukuba inkuthazo, uchulumanco, kunye noqhagamshelo olusuka kula maxesha lunokutshintsha ngokwenene ubomi.