Voyage of the Odyssey executive summary - Ocean Alliance

Part 2: Reaching Out to People of the World
Outreach Work Included
Our PBS-sponsored website (www.pbs.org/odyssey)
l produced over 450 audio and video reports from the Odyssey;
l broadcast 75 Voice From the Sea pieces, written by Roger Payne;
l attracted 1.3 million website visitors who viewed 4 million pages;
l received several awards and citations including:
• The 2003 Scientific American Sci/Tech Web Award
• The USA Today Hot Site of the Day
• Yahoo’s Yahoo! Pick of the Day
Our education team
l gave presentations to approximately 40,000 people worldwide;
l contributed to two museum exhibits featuring whales and the Voyage
Voyage of the Odyssey Education Program
Everywhere the Voyage went the Odyssey crew, educators, and scientists reached beyond their primary mission
of documenting ocean pollution to engage in education, conservation, and ocean policy initiatives. As a result,
the Voyage of the Odyssey is remembered in many of the countries it visited not just as an expedition of
fundamental scientific importance, but also for instilling a fascination for whales in the hearts of thousands of children,
teachers, and ordinary citizens.
Goals and Philosophy
Children are naturally drawn to the wild world, and whales arouse their sense of curiosity and awe. The Voyage of the
Odyssey education program builds on the natural human affinity for wildlife. The specific education goals were as follow:
l To promote awe, curiosity, and concern about whales and the ocean environment
l To underscore the need to preserve the oceans as healthy, integrated ecosystems
l To educate people about how they can make a difference in the conservation of whales and the world’s oceans
To achieve these goals, Ocean Alliance believes that an effective way to shape people’s behavior
is to enlist them directly in doing science so that they can gain firsthand experience of the natural world around them.
The Odyssey educators used several specific strategies to engage their audiences. Specifically, they sought to do the
following:
l Utilize sperm whales as a charismatic species to capture the attention of children and to connect them directly
to the work of the Voyage, and to the excitement of doing science
l Use global exploration as a way to engage students and promote an interest in the oceans, its whales,
and ocean ecosystems
l Develop education activities and materials that are dynamic and hands-on, and which can be disseminated by
means of multimedia technology
l Build partnerships with educational organizations in all countries whose ports the Odyssey visited
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