In-Depth. Innovative. Interactive. Immersive.
- Arthur C. Clarke
Our mission is to provide learners, the next generation of ocean citizens, with the knowledge and tools to understand our influence on the ocean and the ocean’s influence on us.
Ocean School is a groundbreaking educational experience that uses powerful storytelling techniques, immersive technologies and interactive media. Its inquiry-based approach advances critical thinking, innovation and environmental awareness.
Think critically and ask questions. Gather information and explore perspectives.
See and experience the ocean's depth, mystery and majesty through augmented and virtual reality and 360-degree immersive experiences.
Make a difference. Put your learning into action by creating a response to one of our big questions.
Join Ocean School's community of practice. Share your teaching and learning experiences with educators around the globe. Provide our team with feedback.
Join our team as they travel the world to bring you to the cutting edge of scientific discovery and social innovation.
Join youth host Jordan and lead scientist, Dr. Boris Worm, as they try set out to discover the herring spawn on kelp and salmon harvests in the Heiltsuk Nation. Coming Fall 2019!
Join our youth hosts Holly, Anisha, Isabelle and lead scientist Boris Worm as they take a journey of discovery, racing to find out what we can do to keep our ocean — as well as our own lives — healthy and safe.
Join youth host Sergio and lead scientist Dr. Boris Worm as they head out on our first open ocean adventure: Cocos Island. It’s a hotspot of activity for marine life, making it the ideal location to study migration patterns of sharks! Coming Winter 2019.
Ocean School is built by a talented interdisciplinary team working at the intersection of Science, Education and Storytelling.
Scientific Director
Boris Worm is a marine ecologist and marine conservation professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His highly cited research specializes in changes in marine biodiversity and the effects of fishing, climate change, and other human impacts on global ocean ecosystems. He has received numerous awards for his scientific work and public outreach.
Science Producer
Sonya Lee holds a B. Sc. from Dalhousie University in marine biology and international development studies. She started her career as a Science Educator at the Discovery Centre, teaching science workshops to grades P–12. As an advocate of promoting ocean literacy, Sonya was on the Canadian Network for Ocean Education's board of directors from 2015–2017.
Producer
Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Scott Simpson is a 15-year veteran of the Canadian film industry. Scott has led the creation of more than 40 hours of primetime television for Discovery, the Smithsonian Channel, National Geographic, and more. Scott's list of credits include director, producer, writer and editor. His dramatic film work and music videos have received recognition around the globe.
Executive Producer
Executive Producer Jac Gautreau is an interactive artist and producer who has been with the NFB since 2015. He has worked in immersive spaces, creating dome-based presentations and many large-scale interactive projection works with an emphasis on immersivity and digital puppeteering.He co-produced the NFB’s first POVR documentary, "The third wheel" and has been Ocean School's executive producer since 2017.
Program Director
Over the past 15 years, Janet Stalker has guided the development of environmental education programs to advance ocean literacy in Canada and the United States, predominantly in the NGO and academic sectors. Based at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Janet is passionate about connecting young people with the ocean, and fostering communication between the scientific community and the public.
360˚ videographer
Theo Belnou discovered photography at the age of 10, when he opted for a camera instead of a Playstation for Christmas. Many years and a short film later, Theo attended film school in the north of France. He has shot video campaigns for L’Oréal Paris, Vichy and Schweppes, and now travels the world as Ocean School's 360 videographer.
Education producer
Heather deLagran is an education specialist with an M.A. in Educational Technology from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Heather started her career as a secondary-school geography teacher in England and the Bahamas. She strongly believes in student-centered, inquiry-based learning. Heather is the author of the Burgundy Jazz Educator’s Guide and of several human rights education materials and trainings.
Education Producer
Emily Sheepy is an education specialist with an M.A. in Educational Technology from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Emily has worked in educational media and instructional systems design since 2011. She is passionate about learner-centred design, and researches best practices in the design and evaluation of innovative educational software.
Associate Science producer
Lucija Prelovec is an informal science educator with a BSc. in Marine and Freshwater Biology from the University of Guelph and a G.Dip in Science Communication from Laurentian University. Her passion for the ocean has led her to various opportunities in Canada, Croatia, and the US. Currently living in Halifax, she is also a board member for the Canadian Network for Ocean Education and is in the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition.