Overview:
Students and communities in Peleliu State, Angaur State, and Kayangel State experienced hands-on marine science learning as the Palau International Coral Reef Center brought its Education Carnival outreach program to the outer islands, in partnership with the Office of Climate Change. The visits combined interactive classroom-style learning with community consultations on marine conservation and climate resilience.
After hosting its largest Education Carnival to date in January—bringing together nearly 1,000 students from 14 elementary schools across Koror and Babeldaob—the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) traveled to Peleliu, Angaur, and Kayangel to bring this interactive marine science learning experience to their schools. Through these visits, the Center successfully reached every elementary school in Palau, with the exception of the Southwest Islands. In Peleliu and Kayangel, PICRC outreach officers and researchers were joined by partners from the Office of Climate Change.
A total of 49 students learned about different areas of marine science through a series of hands-on stations that they rotated through in small groups. From becoming pieces in a giant board game about Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to observing plankton under a microscope and discovering the remarkable diversity of whales and dolphins that inhabit the waters of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS), students showed great enthusiasm throughout the activities and had the opportunity to earn prizes by correctly answering questions at the different booths.
As in the Education Carnival held at PICRC in January, attaching coral fragments to reef stars at the coral restoration booth—while learning about this and other reef restoration techniques—proved especially popular among students. Another favorite was a game led by the Office of Climate Change, in which students competed to build the best mangrove to protect the coastline. The program concluded with a coloring activity featuring Palau’s marine ecosystems—seagrass beds (delul a char), coral reefs (merand er a kereker), and mangroves (keburs)—where students could express their creativity while learning about the diverse organisms that inhabit these ecosystems.
In addition to the educational visits, PICRC organized community meetings in all three states, where staff gave presentations and engaged with community members to answer questions, listen to observations, and learn from local knowledge. PICRC provided updates on the Center’s research and outreach activities, the condition of each state’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) based on the latest surveys, and recent and ongoing projects within the PNMS. The Office of Climate Change contributed presentations on climate change impacts and adaptation in Palau, as well as the importance of blue carbon—the carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems such as seagrass beds and mangroves—in addressing this global challenge. Community members showed particular interest in the status of their MPAs and contributed numerous questions and insights.
PICRC extends its sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the Education Carnival and community meetings, as well as to the elementary schools and state governments of Peleliu, Angaur, and Kayangel for helping make these events possible. The Center also wishes to thank the Office of Climate Change for joining the visits and for their valuable contributions to both the Education Carnival and the community meetings, which PICRC considers essential opportunities to connect with communities and promote scientific knowledge and ocean stewardship.