Thank you for your interest in the Marine Debris Monitoring Toolkit for Educators! This resource was updated to align with the updated Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) protocols, and the new version is now available as the MDMAP Guide for Educators. The Guide provides instructions and tips for participating in MDMAP and planning, conducting, and following up on monitoring surveys with student groups. It is full of in-depth information to support educators and students who are interested in participating in MDMAP, including: 

• Learning objectives and standards alignment for MDMAP activities and lessons
• Place-based considerations for site selection and student leadership
• Guidance for conducting MDMAP surveys, including a variety of interdisciplinary concepts introduced through survey activities 
• Data entry and analysis guidance and action-based learning based on student-generated data
• Survey worksheets and directions designed specifically for student use and needs, including station rotations and opportunities for student leadership

If you are interested in learning more about MDMAP, check out the Monitoring Toolbox. If you are interested in other marine debris educational resources, including curricula and activities for the classroom, check out our Education page. To stay up-to-date on all of the NOAA Marine Debris Program educational resources, subscribe to our Education Newsletter here.

The Marine Debris Monitoring Toolkit for Educators was created through a collaboration between the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) and the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. This toolkit provides many useful marine debris resources and adapts the MDP's Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project, a robust citizen science monitoring initiative, for classroom use. The Toolkit is designed to assist teachers in educating their students about marine debris and involving them in marine debris research and outreach. Using the Toolkit, students conduct marine debris surveys, which can help to provide valuable information on where, when, and what kind of debris is showing up. Students can enter their data into a national database, analyze monitoring results, and become involved in marine debris stewardship within their communities.