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Coral Reef Workshops for Educators
Down Under Out Yonder and Corals to Classrooms

The Gulf of Mexico Foundation and ConocoPhillips proudly present the 14th annual Down Under, Out Yonder and Corals to Classrooms coral reef workshops for K-12 and college entry biology educators nationwide.DUOY - Carrie Robertson photo

"Down Under, Out Yonder" (DUOY) is a five-day workshop that includes three days of scuba diving. "Corals to Classrooms" is the first two-days of land-based workshop without the additional scuba component. Both workshops are held during the month of July.

For more information on either workshop, contact Franklin Viola, DUOY and Media Project Coordinator, at franklin@gulfmex.org or (832) 373-8393.

DUOY General Information
Down Under, Out Yonder coral reef workshop and scuba trip is sponsored RV Fling - Franklin Viola photoannually by the Gulf of Mexico Foundation for K-12 and college entry educators, nationwide. ConocoPhillips was the sponsor for DUOY 2008.

During the land-based weekend, DUOY participants attend the Corals to Classroom workshop n Galveston, Texas, featuring guest speakers and educational materials to bring back to the classroom. Afterwards participants travel to Freeport, Texas, for three days of scuba diving board the MV Fling, a 100-foot live-aboard dive boat operated by Gulf Diving LLC. Non-diving educators may participate only in Corals to Classroom and forego the DUOY dive component of the workshop.

DUOY Diver with sting ray - Franklin Viola photoBoth workshops focus on the coral reefs of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, located in the Gulf of Mexico about 110 miles off the Texas coast. The federally protected underwater sanctuary harbors the northern-most coral reefs in the continental US. The sanctuary's 42 square miles of coral-covered salt domes are home to schooling fish, turtles, sharks, and occasional pelagic animals including sea turtles, hammerhead sharks, manta rays and an occasional whale shark.

By providing educators this participatory field experience, the Gulf of Mexico Foundation encourages interest in and conservation of our important marine environment and habitats. GMF’s DUOY program, which offers 28 hours of Texas State Board for Educator Certification for this workshop, received recognition in 2002 from the Environmental Protection Agency by being awarded a Gulf Guardian Award.

(Letters to GMF from former DUOY participants)
Dr. Dokken,
   The experience I gained this year will be invaluable to me and other teachers I work with in the Corpus Christi Independent School District.  I really appreciate, as a professional, the wide range of topics including clams, conchs, corals and engineering related to the oceans and space travel. 
Thanks again for an exceptional workshop.
Sincerely,
- J.R. Jones


Dear Kelly:
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the opportunity to attend one of the best workshops I have ever attended in my educational career. I will definitely use the workshop materials in the classroom. And of course, the diving experience at the Flower Gardens is always a plus. Once again, thank you and have a good year.
- Ryan Richter

Corals to Classrooms (C2C) General Information
What are corals? How do they build reefs? Why are the coral reefs of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico special and unique? What does all this have to do with the National Marine Sanctuary Program?

These are just a few of the questions that will be answered through this interactive, resource-rich, educator workshop. Educators of all levels will walk away from the two-day experience with the means to actively involve their students in the learning process, to expose them to scientific research and to share personal experiences about the challenges of fieldwork.

Workshop participants will receive a canvas bag full of resources, activities, materials and ideas for implementing topics in biology, oceanography, geology, physical science, American government and environmental science. They will also participate in a supplemental field trip to the Aquarium at Moody Gardens to practice their newly acquired skills and learn other ways to apply what they've learned.

This workshop is provided by the Gulf of Mexico Foundation and is conducted at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) offices in Galveston, Texas.

The FGBNMS is an authorized provider through the Texas State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and offers 14 hours of SBEC credit for this workshop. Registration and information materials are available online.

Gulf of Mexico Foundation - PMB 51, 5403 Everhart - Corpus Christi, TX 78411
(800) 884-4175 toll free - (361) 882-3939 phone - (361) 882-1262 fax
e-mail: info@gulfmex.org     website: gulfmex.org
webmaster: Carrie Robertson

ConocoPhillips
Proud Sponsor of GMF’s
2008 Down Under Out Yonder
and Corals to Classrooms
corl reef workshops
DUOY PHOTOS
by Franklin Viola
DUOY 2008
2008 DUOY PHOTOS
Franklin Viola photo
2007 DUOY PHOTOS
 

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