Transcript Geoscience Outreach: A Collaborative Effort

Geoscience Outreach:
A Collaborative Effort
Cindy Martinez
Department of Education
American Geological Institute
[email protected]
Outreach Programs at AGI
Earth Science Week
 New programs in development
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Earth Science World
 Origins Television Series
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Earth Science Week:
A Brief History
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ESW was initiated in 1998
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The week has grown to include events in all
50 states and more than 15 countries
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State and national proclamations of the week
are made each year
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The ESW Website received more than 45,000
visitors in 2002
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Currently organized by the Education
Department
Earth Science Week:
Plans for 2003
• New Theme for this year:
“Eyes on Planet Earth:
Monitoring Our Changing World”
• Dates: October 12-18, 2003.
Earth Science Week:
New programs and plans
• Created a newsletter to keep planners and
participants up-to-date on Earth Science Week
planning
• Re-designed website: www.earthsciweek.org
• Started a “Sponsor-a-school” program
• Will include a Global GIS CD in each ESW kit
• Encouraging increased national media coverage.
• New materials: new kits for teachers, information for
event planners, and a new poster
*AGI wants to engage Member Societies,
their members and local and regional
geoscience societies to participate in Earth
Science Week at the “grassroots” level.
With help from our member societies, we
can reach out to more than 100,000
geoscientists around the world!
Earth Science Week:
How can your society get involved?
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AGI will send 50 free kits to every member
society!
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Encourage your members to participate!
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Distribute them to your Education Committees,
Outreach staff, Regional subcommittees and other
volunteers
Buy kits for local schools and teachers
Plan to visit a classroom, host an open house, or lead
a field trip in their local area
Include the Earth Science Week poster in
your journals
Earth Science World:
A Gateway to Learning
• AGI is submitting a proposal to NSF’s Informal
Science Education program to fund the creation of
an outreach website: Earth Science World.
• Earth Science World will contain comprehensive,
up-to-date scientific information about the Earth
sciences accessible to the public
• The goal of this site: To create a more
scientifically literate society by educating the
public about the importance of studying the
Earth
The Site will include information about:
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Earth Science Careers
Current events/news in the geosciences
Image Bank
Earth Science Week
Learning resources
• Virtual field trips
• Summaries of current scientific theories
• A book center, Geo-calendar and more!
Earth Science World:
How can your society get involved?
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What web-based resources do you have
that can be linked with the Earth Science
World site?
Education or outreach materials
 Discipline-specific information
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Link to the Earth Science World site from
your web pages
ORIGINS Television Series
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Develop a prime-time television series based on
Ron Redfern’s Book: Origins: The Evolution of
Continents, Oceans and Life
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Series will focus on the origin of the circum
North Atlantic Basin and the geologic history of
North America, Western Europe and North Africa
over the past 700 million years
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Related science education materials will be
developed, including a DVD and web based
product called the Time Navigator System
Origins Project Collaboration
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AGI is planning a broad-based international collaborative
which includes participation of major scientific
organizations and institutions of higher education
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NSF Informal Science Education program
School of Education and Lifelong Learning, Exeter University
School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma
Plan to work with producers from PBS, Discovery, BBC
or other educational production teams to create the
series.
*AGI welcomes collaboration and support for this
project from Member Societies. Contact us for
more information about how your organization
can join in the Origins project!
Action Items:
Get involved in outreach with AGI
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Earth Science Week
Contact me to order 50 free kits for your
society
 Publicize the week to your members
 Help us distribute the ESW poster
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Earth Science World
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Let us know what web resources you have
that can help enhance the site
Action Items:
Get involved in outreach with AGI
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Origins Television Series
Become an affiliate or partner in producing
the series
 Contact us if you are interested in
participating in this exciting program
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By working together, we can really
make a difference!
Contact me to get involved in collaborating
on outreach projects with AGI!
Cindy Martinez
[email protected]
703-379-2480 ext. 227