Event, Opportunity

NOAA Ocean Exploration to Host Blue Technology Education Workshop

January 30, 2026

Three students kneel at the edge of a pool to carefully place an underwater robot made of PVC pipe and electronics into the water.

Students participating in the MATE ROV Competition place their remotely operated vehicle in the water for a test. Image courtesy of MATE ROV Competition. Download largest version (jpg, 571 KB).

On July 16, 2026, NOAA Ocean Exploration will host a full-day teacher workshop to help bring lessons on ocean engineering and exploration technology to classrooms across the United States. The inaugural event will be held in Cambridge, Maryland, as part of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) Annual conference. During the workshop, 30 educators will engage directly with blue technology organizations, explore classroom-ready lessons and student competitions, and collaborate with peers to develop plans to integrate technologies used for exploring the ocean into their teaching.

Educational experiences focused on “blue technology” help young students understand how science, engineering, and innovation allow people to explore and protect our ocean. By engaging with modern exploration tools like underwater robots, sensor systems, and ocean drifters, students build problem-solving skills and are inspired to pursue careers that support a healthy ocean planet.

Today’s ocean challenges call for bold, creative educators who can inspire and prepare the next generation of marine innovators. This workshop will equip early-career educators with the tools, confidence, and connections they need to bring cutting-edge blue technology and real-world ocean exploration into their educational setting. Morning workshop sessions will feature presentations and hands-on demonstrations from blue technology organizations that offer education products, classroom tools, and engineering competition opportunities for students and educators.

Presenters will include representatives from Robonation, Blue Robotics, Educational Passages, Oceanography for Everyone, MATE ROV Competition, and NOAA’s Adopt-a-Drifter program. In the afternoon, participants will network with veteran educators that have successfully integrated blue technology into their classrooms or school programs. Participants will then develop plans to implement blue technology education in their own classrooms during the next school year.

A teacher smiles while holding a fishing rod over the edge of a pier. The fishing rod's line is attached to a white, cylindrical scientific tool, which the teacher is lowering into the ocean.

An educator who participated in an Oceanography for Everyone openCTD workshop deploys a homemade sensor to measure ocean salinity, temperature, and depth. Image courtesy of Oceanography for Everyone. Download largest version (jpg, 273 KB).

NOAA Ocean Exploration, in cooperation with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and NMEA, is offering $1,200 scholarships for one early-career classroom educator from each NMEA chapter to attend the 2026 NMEA Annual Conference and the Blue Technology Education Workshop. These scholarships cover conference and workshop registration and help offset travel costs. Eligible applicants must be formal educators within their first five years of teaching and NMEA chapter members in good standing at the time of application.

Applications for Blue Technology Scholarships are due on February 28, 2026. Registration for the NMEA Annual Conference will open on April 1, 2026. More information about the Blue Technology Education Workshop and how to apply for scholarships is available on the National Marine Educators Association website.