education and advocacy
"Because in the end we will only keep what we love. We will only love what we will understand. We will only understand what we will learn"Patou Diem
This short sentence embodies the educational concept of the Delphis association. One of the main goals of the association is the promotion of education to preserve the environment in general, and the marine environment in particular, from a holistic view of the concept of sustainability, and the importance of environmental education.
We believe thatKnowledge leads to change significant, and education leads to familiarity with our environment and from that to taking action to preserve it. Marine mammals are one of the groups of animals that underwent the most dramatic changes in form and function during the evolutionary transition from life on land to life in water. Mammalian traits, such as a high body temperature, a developed brain and close social ties, gave the marine mammals an advantage in competition with the old inhabitants of the sea. Their learning and cognitive abilities developed simultaneously and independently of those of humans and apes, and that is why they are so intriguing and provide new surprises to visitors.
The curiosity that marine mammals, especially dolphins, arouse in us, together with decades of research and the educational approach of Delphis - led to the development of the association's educational program.
The main goal of the educational program is to expand the circle of knowledge regarding the Mediterranean Sea, to the mammals that inhabit it - dolphins, whales and seals - to raise awareness of the need to preserve their living environment, all through an educational experience of creating wonder and astonishment in view of the existence of these animals on the shores of Israel .
We have developed a wide variety of education programs for different ages - from preschool to upper division ages - as well as education and training activities for education and teaching staff, further training for teachers, teachers' rooms, meetings for students in institutions of higher education and more. The association's educational program enables authentic learning, and makes the latest research in the field of marine mammals in the Mediterranean Sea accessible to the various target audiences, through workshops, lectures in schools, in the community, in virtual space, on the beach and in the "Dolphin and Sea Center".
We hold a wide variety of activities that are personally adapted to the preferences and needs of the visitors. The activities combine academic knowledge, based on recent research, our expertise is in making accessible the wonderful world of marine mammals, especially the dolphins, from a scientific aspect combined with experiential and unique means, exploration tours in the sea and its surroundings, playing and encouraging natural curiosity.