Our Core Values

Excellence
Camaraderie
Action
Inclusiveness
Leadership

Excellence 

  • We utilize and provide access to the best available science and educational practices and resources in everything we do. 

  • We demonstrate integrity and lead by example, practicing what we teach at our conferences, in our work, and in our everyday lives. 

  • We continually work to strengthen NMEA as a healthy, fiscally responsible organization. 

Camaraderie 

  • We cherish the camaraderie among our members, building strong, lasting professional and personal relationships among colleagues who share common goals. 

  • The relationships among members nurture and support us as individuals, allow us to leverage each other as resources, and lead to important collaborations and partnerships. 

  • We enjoy working together and we take NMEA’s mission seriously – we know that in order to successfully fulfill our mission and vision, we must do it together. 

  • Our leadership within NMEA provides links among all members and to other professional organizations, enabling the sharing of ideas, resources, and progress, lending fulfillment to our vision. 

Action 

  • We educate and inspire people to understand and value their relationship with the ocean and all watersheds, so that they can make informed choices about their behavior. 

  • We value the role of educators and support them with tools, conferences, publications, and resources so that they, in turn, can promote understanding and action in their students. 

  • We empower the public to take an active role in protecting the global ocean and water resources. 

Inclusiveness 

  • We believe that bringing together a wide variety of communities with diverse perspectives strengthens marine and aquatic education. 

  • We encourage interdisciplinary approaches to our activities and strive to incorporate many disciplines into resources we provide. 

  • We welcome and include many types of educators, and we honor and utilize the contributions of all our members. 

  • We are passionate about reaching and inspiring broad audiences, and will stay open to new ideas, perspectives, and input. 

Leadership 

  • We inspire and encourage our members to serve as tenacious, passionate leaders, both within and outside the organization. 

  • We support our members as they serve in leadership positions in universities, government agencies, and in formal and informal education institutions and businesses. 

  • We drive the conversation regarding marine and aquatic education, influencing policy, practice, and funding.