Planting the seeds of ocean literacy—one student at a time.

Teacher Professional Development
Wednesday 7 October | 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Be inspired to bring South Australia's incredible marine environment to life in your classroom.

Join the Marine Discovery Centre and National Parks and Wildlife Service SA for an engaging, hands-on professional learning session designed to build confidence, spark ideas and strengthen ocean literacy across the curriculum.

You'll:

• Discover Porci Explores Marine Parks, an exciting new animated short film, and explore the accompanying curriculum-aligned teacher resource.

• Learn how to use engaging marine science and marine park resources to inspire curiosity and connect students with South Australia's unique marine environments, with Maria Taylor from Outside the Box learning.

• Explore practical classroom activities that help students understand, value and protect our ocean.

Following the workshop, enjoy an exclusive tour of the Marine Discovery Centre. Meet the real-life Porci and his ocean friends, discover the wonders of the Great Southern Reef, and experience immersive, hands-on learning, including Kaurna cultural perspectives.

Planting the seeds of ocean literacy—one student at a time.

This free professional development opportunity is proudly funded by Parks Australia and presented by the Marine Discovery Centre, National Parks and Wildlife Service SA, and Outside the Box Learning.

Important information

• Entry is via the Marlborough Street gate, MDC staff will be there to greet you

• Please note the Professional Development component of the morning will be hosted in the Stella Maris room on the grounds of the Star of the Sea school, Marine Discovery Centre staff will direct you to the room from the Marine Discovery Centre

• Street parking is available. There is further parking available behind the Henley Beach Parish which is accessible via Foord Ave, located directly across the road from the Marine Discovery Centre

Guest Speakers

Dr Shelley Paull

Senior Ecologist, Marine Biodiversity, Department for Environment and Water.

Shelley has over 20 years' experience in the marine ecology field, specialising in marine conservation and community outreach - including a large school education program.

She worked on the South Australian Marine Parks project from 2007 until 2025, working on the design, consultation and implementation of South Australia's Marine Parks network.

During this time she managed 6 marine parks on the Eyre Peninsula between 2014 and 2025 and she was instrumental in providing opportunities for thousands of people to experience, enjoy and become advocates for marine parks and the marine environment. Cuttlefest and the various marine parks education resources that are available are examples of visions brought to life by Shelley.

Shelley currently works in the Conservation and Threatened Species team, focusing on projects associated with the harmful algal bloom and other high priority species such as Giant Australian Cuttlefish and marine mammals.

Shelley is passionate about inspiring people to learn about and care for their local marine environment, using education and experience to inspire this. She believes inspiring the next generation to connect and care for the ocean is vital to its future health and the health of our planet. She continues to work on marine park school education resources as a way to facilitate this learning.

Maria Taylor is the founder of Outside the Box Learning, a facilitator, practitioner and education consultant with more than 25 years' experience across early childhood, primary and tertiary education. She is passionate about helping educators bring learning to life through creativity, hands-on experiences, play and real-world inquiry. Maria is known for sharing practical, achievable ideas that educators can confidently take back to their classrooms straight away. Her work encourages children to ask questions, solve problems, explore the natural world and develop the curiosity, confidence and creative thinking that underpin lifelong learning.