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| Robert Nelson, Public Affairs Department Chief, discusses using “New Media” to spread the word concerning Water Pollution and America’s Waterway Watch. |
Atlanta, GA – September 6, 2008. Team Coast Guard members from throughout the country met this weekend in Atlanta focusing on the Coast Guard’s Sea Partner’s Program and America’s Waterway. Team Coast Guard includes members on active duty, the Coast Guard Reserve, and members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Training and updates included: Using the Media, Reaching Out to Schools, Marine Debris, Aquatic Nuisance Species, Coral Reefs, Marine Environmental Education Specialist Training, the Citizen’s Action Network, and the need for safe and secure waterways.
The “Officer Snook” program was a special highlight. The Officer Snook initiative is an educational and action program focused on preventing water pollution. Created in 1993 by Jennifer Sevin, the program is geared toward specific age levels.
An essential part of the Coast Guard Sea Partners program, Officer Snook is used by the Coast Guard Auxiliary to reach children throughout the United States. Some 6,000,000 children have learned about the effects of water pollution using Officer Snook. According to Ms. Sevin, “Officer Snook’s ultimate goal is to change behavior.”
Debi Johnson, District 11-SR Marine Safety Staff Officer, a professional educator, addressed the correlation of Sea Partners program with national science standards. “There are eight science content standards that apply to all grade levels, each with subsections relevant to grade level,” Johnson said. “These standards outline what students should know, understand, and be able to do in natural science.”
The Coast Guard is responsible for pollution response and abatement on the navigable waters of the United States.
~HRW