Sending a teacher out to sea isn't such a bad idea — not if it means putting 13 science teachers on a Navy ship to experience how math and science are used on an oceangoing vessel.

It's an invaluable real-world learning experience. And it shows what relatively low-cost investments can be made by partnering with educators and schools.

The Navy's Sea Scholars is a good example of a program that should inspire others to reach out to teachers.

In its 10th successful year, teachers this year shipped off from Pearl Harbor for California on the U.S. Navy ship Pathfinder on Tuesday.

The teachers compete for the privilege from all over the country and pay their own way to Hawai'i. The Navy pays their expenses, but the teachers work 16-hour days.

This is no easy ocean cruise. Since Pathfinders are used to map the ocean floor, a good portion of the time is spent mapping the coastline of the Big Island. It's a good way to see how algebra, math and solving for "X" really matters.

While the Navy program is unique, that shouldn't stop other businesses and institutions of thinking of similar ways to work with educators. Can a bank help teachers engage students in real-life math problems that come in simple family budget issues? Are there "real math, real science" examples of other diverse workplaces that can expose a teacher to ways of making a classroom come alive?

Simple investment in teachers pays off if it makes education relevant for students.