Port Townsend Marine Science Center

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) will play a critical role in expanding the existing Maritime Discovery Schools (MDS) initiative. MDS is a community effort to integrate local resources with the schools as a place-based strategy to create better learning outcomes and a more vibrant community, economically, culturally, and environmentally. In support of this community-identified need, PTMSC would bring in nationally recognized education leaders to stimulate community dialog, act as a convener and coordinator of partner nonprofits, provide teacher and nonprofit professional development opportunities, grant seed funding for promising projects, and offer direct programming to students at PTMSC facilities. In its new role, PTMSC will aim to sustain community engagement in the public education system, enhance teacher competency to execute community-supported learning experiences and increase a sense of place and an ethic of environmental stewardship among district students through expanded STEM programming.