Two Bermuda teachers are helping to put together the curriculum for a unique worldwide science education programme.

The JASON programme, which uses video-satellite link-ups to teach, can reach most of North America, the UK and Bermuda.

Ms Mary Hasselbring of Mount St. Agnes Academy, and Ms Janet Slaughter of Warwick Academy went to Washington recently for the curriculum workshop.

Ms Hasselbring and Ms. Slaughter were chosen to represent Bermuda by the JASON Education Committee, consisting of the Bermuda Biological Station, Cable & Wireless, the Department of Education and the Zoological Society, said Mrs.

Sheila Dempster, Biological Station Public Relations officer.

Ms Hasselbring is known for her idea for building a life-size whale at Mount St. Agnes Academy.

There were about 30 teachers from the US, Canada, UK and Bermuda participating in the workshop, said Ms Slaughter.

"We met scientists from the National Geographic Society,'' she said. "And ( Titanic discoverer) Dr. Robert Ballard gave the introductory talk with the scientists, then the National Science Teachers Association took over.'' Each teacher was assigned a project and a scientist as an advisor.

"We spent three days writing, phoning and faxing all over the world,'' Ms Slaughter said. "My project was on the hydrological (water) cycle.'' A Bermuda Biological Station statement said the JASON curriculum is for Grades 6 to 10 (11 to 16-year-olds) and is divided into five units: geography, environmental sciences, archaeology and anthropology, social sciences, and teacher tools.

The two teachers said they are very excited that Bermuda will send two schoolchildren in 1994 to Belize for the annual JASON project. The theme is the watercycle, and all the ecosystems it goes through during the cycle.

There are many lessons Bermuda can learn from the project, Ms Hasselbring said.

UNIQUE PROGRAMME -- Seated at the JASON link-up equipment is teacher Ms Janet Slaughter. Standing are teacher Ms Mary Hasselbring and Biological Station director Dr. Tony Knap.