Once Is Not Enough: Connecting Students of Color to their Local Waterways

Ocean Literacy Principle #6 states: “The Ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.” Concept 6G within this principle emphasizes that “we are all responsible for caring for the Ocean” (NOAA, Ocean literacy: the essential principles and fundamental concepts of Ocean sciences for learners of all ages. NOAA, Washington, DC, 2020, p. 11). Yet, marine education and access to Ocean Literacy (OL) opportunities remain limited, at best, for Black and Brown and/or low-income communities. Children in these communities, as a result, may feel little sense of connection to the Ocean and even less sense of agency when it comes to enacting change to improve Ocean health. Thus, if we wish for everyone to become Ocean literate, we must purposefully reach audiences who have been historically marginalized, including low-income students and those of color. This mixed-method study explores how students in predominantly Black, Brown, and low-income urban communities developed shifting perspectives of their local waterways and gained a deeper connection and care for their Ocean. Findings suggest OL opportunities need to: discuss the importance of local and distant waterways, provide opportunities to make deeper connections to local waterways, and develop a call to action that empowers students to think critically about their local waterways. In addition, researchers call attention to the lack of change after just one round of OL opportunities, recommending that OL become a consistent and on-going part of students’ education to ensure sustained shifts in OL, contributing to a diversified Ocean workforce and marine education field.