Aquaculture is the fastest growing sectors of food production worldwide, and is vitally important to obtaining sustainable food security in the future. However, in the United States aquaculture continues to grow at a sluggish pace, and is often misunderstood or completely unknown to many U.S. consumers.
In an effort to increase awareness for the next generation of seafood consumers, utilize a strong teaching tool, and create defined pathways into the aquaculture workforce many extension educators and academics are creating K-12 aquaculture programs and working closely with K-12 schools to help integrate aquaculture curriculums into the classroom.
The efforts that have been taking place in Michigan and the Midwest include the Youth Education in Aquaculture Initiative (http://ncrac-yea.org/), an effort funded through the North Central Regional Aquaculture Center and started by Lake Superior State University Professor Dr. Barbara Evans. Through this effort a network of schools is being mapped along with aquaculture resources such as hatcheries, private facilities, research centers, and more. The schools mapped through this effort are identified for having aquaculture integrated into their curriculum. This effort also includes a forum to allow networking opportunities between schools.
The efforts in Michigan go beyond mapping and also include curriculum creation, working directly with teachers to develop aquaculture programs and the Aquaculture Challenge, a competitive high school competition aimed towards engaging high schools in an integrative STEM and business program.
The efforts taking place in Michigan also are in line with national efforts that have begun to coordinate extension and Sea Grant work in K-12 aquaculture programing and workforce development across the United States and its territories.
This session will focus on these efforts and how they are leading to a clear and defined pathway into the aquaculture workforce.