New Bedford ECHO Project - ECHO programs amplify educational benefits, foster greater appreciation of local and national history and the natural environment, and assist communities in maximizing the social benefits of new technologies.

ECHO programs amplify educational benefits, foster greater appreciation of local and national history and the natural environment, and assist communities in maximizing the social benefits of new technologies.

Welcome to New Bedford ECHO!

The New Bedford ECHO Project is a unique collaboration between the New Bedford Oceanarium and the New Bedford Whaling Museum. The New Bedford ECHO Project initiatives include cultural exchanges, collections sharing, internship and apprentice programs, and ocean learning activities. Additionally, the New Bedford Oceanarium and the New Bedford Whaling Museum offer educational experiences. The New Bedford Whaling Museum works primarily with students and their teachers in the areas of history, culture, and marine science. The New Bedford Oceanarium focuses on teacher education through professional and curriculum development initiatives of the Connecting Oceans Academy.

The Connecting Oceans Academy: Teacher to Teacher
The Connecting Oceans Academy (COA) offers a variety of professional development opportunities aimed at supporting teachers in meeting the complex demands of diverse student populations. The Connecting Oceans Academy is unique to the New Bedford ECHO Project in that the staff includes five highly skilled classroom teachers, each of whom has extensive experience in elementary, middle, and/or high school classrooms. The Connecting Oceans Academy Staff, which includes art, language arts, reading, science, and social studies teachers, understands the demands of teaching in a standards-based environment and knows how to work collaboratively-teacher to teacher-with new and veteran educators... read more

The learning opportunities offered by the Connecting Oceans Academy staff are research-based, practical, and intellectually exciting. The COA Staff have created standards-based curricula in science, social studies, art, math, and language arts for elementary, middle, and high school-grades that teachers can download and use in their classrooms "tomorrow."

What is ECHO?

ECHO is an educational and cultural enrichment initiative, annually serving thousands of children and adults in Alaska, Hawaii and Massachusetts. Established by Congress as part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, ECHO brings innovative programs collaboratively produced by the regional cultural institutions to culturally diverse audiences. Read More