1. Introduction
The Taiwan Marine Education Center was established to integrate national marine education resources, review and plan marine education policies and help promote local marine education. For four years, Taiwan Marine Education Center has worked continuously with local marine education centers and schoolteachers on projects entrusted to them by the Ministry of Education. It has identified several issues confronting the White Paper on Marine Education Policy (promulgated in 2007) since its implementation. First, marine educators were scattered everywhere without an integrated system; second, work conditions for marine educators varied significantly, leading to a big difference in teaching quality and lack of commonality; third, marine education promoted by local marine education centers lacked systematic integration in human resources; fourth, the Ministry of Education had not set up a central marine education counseling team; fifth, some grassroots teachers had not yet touched marine education.
To resolve the abovementioned issues, Taiwan Marine Education Center further conceived and proposed the "Training Mechanism for Marine Educators", hoping to achieve the following main objectives:
1. Integrate the power of marine educators, including schoolteachers, volunteers from social education institutions, marine professionals and members of private marine organizations
2. Build a professional culture for marine education and provide common competencies to improve the quality of marine educators.
3. Assist cities/counties in setting up talent databases, promoting the systematic integration of human resources and forming marine education counseling teams.
4. Develop marine educator facilitators in schools to build a sustainable mechanism for marine education.
2. Organization
The Marine Educator Training Plan divides marine educators into three levels. The organization of marine educators is described below:
(1)Green Level Marine Educators
The Marine Educator Training Plan aims to attract more people to engage in marine education at their positions, excite their passion for marine services and expand their marine thoughts.
(2)Blue Level Marine Educators
The Marine Educator Training Plan aims to enable Green Level marine educators or those with rich experience in promoting marine education to grow further, so as to engage more people in marine education. The purpose of training is to strengthen participants?rsquo; professional culture and knowledge of marine education, so that they are able to help train Green Level marine educators and promote local marine education.
Functions and Services
1. Green Level Marine Educators
(1) Purpose of Training
The Marine Educator Training Plan aims to attract more people to engage in marine education at their positions, excite their passion for marine services and expand their marine thoughts.
(2) Functions
Those who are qualified as Green Level marine educators are responsible for teaching courses on marine education or leading marine education activities, including (1) teaching in schools and promoting activities related to marine education, (2) tours conducted by social education institutions and promoting activities related to marine education, (3) NGOs and charity groups promoting activities related to marine education and (4) marine industrial visits and education.
(3) Services
Those who are qualified as Green Level marine educators are required to engage in promoting activities related to marine education, including (1) leading or participating in at least two activities related to marine education, (2) teaching marine education at least once every semester, (3) sharing experience in marine education (via social media or the Internet) at least twice every year and (4) participating in at least one enhancement workshop organized by Taiwan Marine Education Center for Green Level marine educators every two years.
2. Blue Level Marine Educators
(1) Purpose of Training
The Marine Educator Training Plan aims to enable Green Level marine educators or those rich in experience promoting marine education to grow further, so as to engage more people in marine education. The purpose of the training is to strengthen participants?rsquo; professional culture and knowledge of marine education, so that they are able to help train Green Level marine educators and promote local marine education.
(2) Functions
Those who are qualified as Blue Level marine educators are responsible for planning marine education activities, guiding the development of marine education courses and teaching and leading the enhancement of marine educators?rsquo; skills, including (1) joining local marine education counseling teams, (2) training Green Level marine educators, (3) planning and guiding marine education activities and (4) acting as speakers for marine education and consultants for marine education courses and development.
(3) Services
Those who are qualified as Blue Level marine educators are required to engage in promoting activities related to marine education, including (1) leading at least one marine education activity (research and development, promotion, seminar or forum) every year, (2) forming a marine education community of at least five members, (3) sharing experience in marine education (via social media or the Internet) at least four times every year and (4) participating in at least one skills enhancement workshop organized by Taiwan Marine Education Center for Blue Level marine educators every two years.
