Renee Marazon, Superintendent, The Maritime Academy of Toledo, announced that the first-ever “K-12 Maritime Education Great Lakes and Inland Waterways Symposium” will be held Friday, April 26, 2013 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Maritime Academy at 803 Water St. in Toledo.
The symposium is being held the day before, and in conjunction with, The Maritime Academy’s Third Annual Admiral’s Ball, the school’s annual major fund-raiser. The Admiral’s Ball will be held on Saturday, April 27 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Fifth-Third Center at One SeaGate in Downtown Toledo. This year’s theme is “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” a commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of The Battle of Lake Erie. Several dozen maritime businesses leaders, union officials, and maritime educators will be in Toledo to take part in the symposium and the Admiral’s Ball.
“The symposium was the suggestion of Dr. Arthur Sulzer, who was recently appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Board of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation and who is also a strong supporter of maritime education initiatives,” said Ms. Marazon. “Dr. Sulzer, with the support of other maritime professionals, felt with the number of maritime industry leaders coming to Toledo for The Admiral’s Ball, that this would be an excellent opportunity to gather and discuss K-12 maritime education programs and their growth in the Great Lakes Region and Inland Waterway Communities. The maritime industry can play an important role in expanding and helping maritime education expanding the region.”
Keynote speaker Mark Barker, President of Interlake Steamship Company, Cleveland, OH will address “Why Maritime Education Matters to Our Community, Industry and Country.” Three panel discussions will focus on K-12 maritime education programs in practice, industry support for these programs, maritime training, research and post-graduate studies.
Ms. Marazon said the symposium will “highlight successful K-12 maritime-focused schools and initiatives including program and curriculum designs, funding, the state approval process and state teacher licensing considerations. Maritime industry leaders from companies, port authorities, shipyards and unions will discuss how their organizations support K-12 maritime education. Another panel of experts will focus on adult maritime training programs, current K-12 maritime education research and doctoral studies and maritime college and university programs and courses of study. The day will end with table talk discussions related to “K-12 Maritime Education: Where Are We Now, Where Do We Want to Go in the Future?”
The symposium is free and is open to all educational professionals as well as those in the maritime industry. Those wishing to attend can call Ms. Kathy Simpson at The Maritime Academy of Toledo at 419-244-9999. The deadline for registration is April 23.
www.maritimeacademy.us
