Education and engagement: Exploring how faculty members can support education

outside of college

Susan Buhr SullivanDirector, CIRES Education and Outreach

NAGT President

Raj PandyaProgram Director, Thriving Earth Exchange, AGU

July 10, 2013

University of Colorado, Boulder

2Education and Engagement

What sort of outreach experience have you had? Check all that apply.

A. None

B. One-shot: e.g. science fair, presentation

C. Medium term: e.g. week long workshops

D. Partnership: e.g. GK12 Fellowship

What do you want to know about outreach?

3Education and Engagement

What is broader impacts?• Advance discovery and understanding while

promoting teaching, training, and learning• Broaden participation of under-represented

groups• Enhance infrastructure for research and

education• Broaden dissemination to enhance scientific

and technological understanding

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf07046/nsf07046.jsp

4Education and Engagement

How outreach can be good for your research and institution

• Growing a talent pool• Building support/town-gown connections• Fulfilling a responsibility• Student scientists• Service learning• Community-based science• Increased competitive funding

5Education and Engagement

How outreach is good for society

• Public understanding of science• Public trust in scientists on societal topics

NGSS systems and human impacts

6Education and Engagement6

In this test, Science Literacy includes understanding uncertainty and how science generates, evaluates, and revises information – not just content knowledge

7Education and Engagement

Trust in Sources of Information about Climate Change: General Public

Scientists

TV weathercasters

News media

Religious leaders

Barack Obama

Al Gore

Sarah Palin

Arnold Schwarzenegger

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Trust

Source: Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., & Roser-Renouf, C. (2010) Climate change in the American Mind: Americans’ global warming beliefs and attitudes in January & June 2010. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change.

Climate Communications Training - Engaging with the Media

Seventy percent of Americans cannot read and understand the science section of the New York Times.

Jon Miller, Hannah Professor of Integrative studies at Michigan State University, Division of Mathematics and Science Education and the Department of Political Science

Climate Communications Training - Engaging with the Media

10Education and Engagement

Best practices

• Have specific goals• Identify an appropriate audience and need• Have measurable outcomes• Have a timeframe• Build on existing efforts

11Education and Engagement

Best practices

• Include partners with expertise• Include sufficient budget• Include sufficient staff• Create a legacy• Include evaluation

Area of need: Next Generation Science Standards

• science and engineering practice

• crosscutting concepts

• disciplinary core ideas

http://www.nextgenscience.org/

13Education and Engagement

What does your institution care about?

• Research I Universities• Primarily Undergraduate Institutions• 2 Year Institutions• Minority Serving Institutions

SOARS – Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science

• Research experience• Multidimensional

mentoring• A supportive community • Professional development

– leadership and communication

• Extensive financial support• Multi-year experience

15Education and Engagement

Global Oceans Inland

• NSF broader impacts • Ocean-inland

connections with national network

• Multi-year workshops• Teacheer lesson plans• Scientist videos and

support

16Education and Engagement

Water spotters-student scientists• NSF CAREER Grant• After school program• Weather stations,

curriculum• Students collect water

samples for isotope analysis

17Education and Engagement

18Education and Engagement

Effective education and outreach

• Is:Learner centeredMeets needs Integrates researchThoughtful

• Is notEsotericDisconnectedUnexamined

19Education and Engagement

How can outreach be good for you?

• Complete reflection template 3-5 minutes• Discuss at your table-where do you have

similar questions or interests? 5-10 mins• Report out (brief) 1-2 mins per table • What are commonalities?

20Education and Engagement

Resources

• Scripps guide to EPO• NSF guides• Outreach-engaged colleagues• University continuing education offices• Schools of education (sometimes)• Research corporations, large infrastructure

projects (e.g. UCAR, Earthscope, NEON)

21Education and Engagement

Thank you!

• Susan Buhr Sullivan• Susan.buhr@Colorado.edu• 303-492-5657

• Rajul Pandya• rpandya@agu.org• 303-999-7112