The USS Monitor: A pioneering model for education and outreach

Abstract

In the summer of 2002, staff from NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA) and the U.S. Navy recovered USS Monitor's icon revolving gun turret from the Atlantic Ocean, successfully capping off a multi-year recovery of over 200 tons of artifacts from the wreck site of the Civil War ironclad. Since that time, NOAA and their partners at The Mariners' Museum (TMM) have undertaken a pioneering collaborative effort to promote the historical and cultural significance of this National Historical Landmark. Education and outreach initiatives form the backbone of this collaboration, including an award-winning exhibition and conservation laboratory at The Mariners' Museum, classroom initiatives, distance learning, and events and festivals around the country, all of which have introduced hundreds of thousands of people to the Monitor's story. The goals of this multi-pronged approach are to raise public awareness; encourage public involvement in resource protection; increase knowledge about maritime history, science, and technology; and expand ocean and climate literacy. This paper examines the methods used by the partnership to achieve these goals and provides a template for best practices in maritime science and history education through a public-private partnership.