SUNY Morrisville’s Aquaculture Center recently hosted New York educators for a hands-on workshop designed to introduce teachers to aquaculture and aquaponics and give them the tools to bring those subjects into their classrooms.
The one-and-a-half-day Teacher Aquaponics Workshop was hosted by New York Sea Grant in collaboration with Michigan Sea Grant and SUNY Morrisville. The workshop combined presentations, laboratory activities and hands-on learning, including water quality testing, fish handling and measurements and demonstrations of aquaponics systems.
Participants also toured the Aquaculture Center, where various fish species are raised for research, education and stocking purposes. The workshop was led by Elliott Nelson of Michigan Sea Grant, with support from Barry Udelson, New York Sea Grant and Elisa Livengood, associate professor of aquaculture & aquatic sciences.
“This workshop provided teachers with resources to bring aquaculture into the classroom and also educated teachers that may not be aware of how much aquaculture exists in New York,” Udelson said.
Livengood, who has worked with educators on aquaculture curriculum throughout her career, said the workshop was a longtime goal.
“Aquaculture remains a powerful teaching tool and can be a hook to engage students’ interest in agriculture and science,” Livengood said.
As part of the workshop, teachers received 13 CTLE hours, a certificate and a 10-gallon aquarium tank with the components needed to establish a small aquaponics system in their classrooms. They also received curriculum resources and ideas for incorporating aquaculture into their teaching.
The workshop is part of a broader effort through the Great Lakes Aquaculture Collective to expand aquaculture education and prepare educators to introduce students to the growing field.
