Pre-Costal Education Program visit to Bangladesh
Location: Dacope, Bangladesh
Date: February 2025
Goal: To build long-term coastal and environmental education capacity in the Khulna region by equipping teachers and educators with practical knowledge, resources, and hands-on learning methods. Through strong local partnerships, we aim to inspire environmental awareness and stewardship among students and communities.
Partners
BEDS
Held in-person planning meetings with BEDS staff to develop the future Coastal Education Program workshop.
Met with 17 local school teachers to gain insight into teaching practices, resource availability, and educational needs.
Visited five local schools and engaged with students of all ages to observe teaching and learning conditions firsthand.
What we did
In February 2025, the Mangrove Action Project (MAP) team, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Environmental and Development Society (BEDS), hosted a Community Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) workshop for local community members and stakeholders in the Dacoupe region of Khulna, Bangladesh. This workshop is part of a broader, three-year Oceans Grant program by BEDS, which focuses on mangrove restoration, education, and improving livelihoods for local communities.
The workshop offered a valuable opportunity for MAP’s Education Programs Manager, Cassandra MacDowell, to visit the country and engage with local schools in the Dacoupe area. Cassie met with 17 teachers from five different schools to assess the interest and need for further environmental education support. During her time in Bangladesh, she visited the schools, explored available resources, and began building relationships with the teachers. These interactions proved to be instrumental in strengthening MAP’s ties with the local community.
Additionally, the MAP team held several meetings with the BEDS team to plan for future projects. As part of the Oceans Grant, the two organizations plan to host a Coastal Education Workshop in 2026. This workshop will be led by MAP staff and designed for teachers and educators in the region, with the goal of expanding their knowledge and resources on coastal environments, incorporating MAP’s award-winning teaching methods. The focus will be on hands-on, immersive learning techniques that teachers can apply in their classrooms, alongside promoting outdoor learning and field trips. MAP and BEDS will also collaborate on creating a comprehensive teacher’s guide, complete with local curriculum links and lesson plans for educators to use with their students.
Interested in working with us?
Get in touch with us at cassie@mangroveactionproject.org
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