Kuroshio Ocean Education Foundation "Animals and My Freedom-Restricted Zone" Teacher Workshop
The stars nudge you awake in your dream, gently swaying your tail
Following the faint glimmer, you emerge beyond the dream
Do you see the world beyond the circles?
Because over the years I have encountered beautiful, free souls in the wild, I cannot stand by and watch the suffering of others;
Because I have a child, I can no longer ignore how misguided life education keeps polluting our next generation.
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A long-standing ban on going to sea has made us fear the ocean, and skewed values have made us neglect the enormous impact that misguided life education has on the next generation. When watching "animal performances" becomes a shared leisure activity for parents taking their children out on holidays, and when zoos become the safe option for school field trips, how should we explain to sensitive children what true freedom of life really is? When children thoughtlessly throw food at animals and jeer at them, how should we convey to them that all beings are equal and that life deserves respect and humility? Teachers working in education are absolutely a crucial part of this, and for this reason we hope to invite teachers to be willing to spend their time and energy working together with Kuroshio. However, in the past, teacher training did not place particular emphasis on captivity issues, so teachers could not, or never understood, the importance of promoting marine education on campus. Therefore, while implementing marine life education in schools, how to first raise teachers' awareness of animal welfare and captivity issues should be a top priority. This is precisely the kind of progressive support that Kuroshio, with its long-accumulated related research and development, hopes to bring to participating teachers. Starting from understanding, starting from education, taking the perspective of the animals as the subject, no longer centred on humans as the viewers.
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The camp will be held in Hualien during the summer vacation, and is open to teachers from public and private elementary and junior high schools nationwide. It is hoped that this camp will serve as a starting point, with the goal of enhancing teachers' ability to understand and become familiar with captivity issues, filling the current gap in marine education regarding captivity issues, helping teachers deepen their understanding of animal welfare, and furthering marine life education in elementary and junior high schools. (Depending on the weather conditions two days before the event, if there are sudden incidents caused by human factors or force majeure, cancellation or changes to the schedule will be announced separately.)
● Workshop dates: July 22 to July 24, 104th year of the Republic of China (2015)
● Target participants: Partners with teaching qualifications or a passion for education, limited to 30 people
● Workshop fee: 1,200 yuan if arranging your own accommodation, 3,700 yuan for those needing accommodation (accommodation assistance arranged at Hualien Hostel)
● Workshop locations: Kuroshio Ocean Education Foundation (No. 81, Zhongmei Road, Hualien City), Farglory Ocean Park in Hualien, the vast and free Pacific Ocean
● Workshop schedule:
| Date | July 22 (Wed.) | July 23 (Thu.) | July 24 (Fri.) |
| 08:00-08:30 | Depart for Hualien Check in at Kuroshio after lunch | Check in at Kuroshio at 8:30 | Check in at Kuroshio at 9:00 |
| 08:30-09:00 | Outdoor visit 1. Explore the great animal garden 2. Observe the environment and reactions of captive animals (Aquarium check) | ||
| 09:00-09:30 | Environmental education in schools | ||
| 09:30-10:00 | |||
| 10:00-10:30 | |||
| 10:30-11:00 | Animals and My Circle (puppet show) | ||
| 11:00-11:30 | Discussion of feasible lesson plans | ||
| 11:30-12:10 | |||
| 12:10-12:30 | Opening ceremony | Closing ceremony | |
| 12:30-13:00 | Getting to know marine mammals | Transfer | Return home |
| 13:00-13:30 | Meal and rest | ||
| 13:30-14:00 | |||
| 14:00-14:15 | Sharing and rest | Aquarium check discussion | |
| 14:15-14:30 | Captive whales and dolphins? | ||
| 15:00-15:30 | What is animal welfare | ||
| 15:30-15:45 | |||
| 15:45-16:30 | Sea experience and waiting | ||
| 16:30-17:00 | Public policy debate 1. Whale and dolphin watching trip VS aquarium 2. Imprisoned freedom & animal welfare | ||
| 17:00-17:30 | |||
| 17:30-18:00 | |||
| 18:00-18:30 |
*If there are any changes to the courses, the on-site handbook announcements shall prevail.
● Workshop registration: https://goo.gl/gzwQ06, online registration open from now until July 17.