Sample records for lab elementary outreach

  1. Berkeley Lab 2nd Grader Outreach

    ScienceCinema

    Scoggins, Jackie; Louie, Virginia

    2017-12-11

    The Berkeley Lab IT Department sponsored a community outreach program aimed at teaching young children about computers and networks. Second graders from LeConte Elementary School joined Lab IT Staff for a day of in-depth exercises and fun.

  2. Outreach Science Education: Evidence-Based Studies in a Gene Technology Lab

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.

    2014-01-01

    Nowadays, outreach labs are important informal learning environments in science education. After summarizing research to goals outreach labs focus on, we describe our evidence-based gene technology lab as a model of a research-driven outreach program. Evaluation-based optimizations of hands-on teaching based on cognitive load theory (additional…

  3. Employing Popular Children's Literature to Teach Elementary School Chemistry: An Engaging Outreach Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wally, Laura M.; Levinger, Nancy E.; Grainger, David W.

    2005-01-01

    A chemistry outreach program to enthuse students of elementary school levels through employing popular children's literature Harry Potter is presented. The outreach activity performance found the students discovering new skills, learning more about science, and participating enthusiastically in the program without any added incentive from their…

  4. Volunteering in the Elementary Outreach Program Could Make You Happier | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    By Marsha Nelson-Duncan, Guest Writer, and Nancy Parrish, Staff Writer Did you know that volunteers in the Elementary Outreach Program (EOP) just might be happier than their coworkers who don’t volunteer?

  5. Outreach within the Bristol ChemLabS CETL (Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shallcross, Dudley E.; Harrison, Tim G.; Obey, Tim M.; Croker, Steve J.; Norman, Nick C.

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents an overview of the Bristol ChemLabS project. In particular, it describes the development and impacts of the outreach project within Bristol ChemLabS, the UK's Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) in practical chemistry, and its continuation beyond the funded project. The major elements of working with both…

  6. Bringing Science Public Outreach to Elementary Schools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Lucas; Speck, A.; Tinnin, A.

    2012-01-01

    Many science "museums” already offer fantastic programs for the general public, and even some aimed at elementary school kids. However, these venues are usually located in large cities and are only occasionally used as tools for enriching science education in public schools. Here we present preliminary work to establish exciting educational enrichment environments for public schools that do not easily have access to such facilities. This program is aimed at motivating children's interest in science beyond what they learn in the classroom setting. In this program, we use the experience and experiments/demonstrations developed at a large science museum (in this case, The St. Louis Science Center) and take them into a local elementary school. At the same time, students from the University of Missouri are getting trained on how to present these outreach materials and work with the local elementary schools. Our pilot study has started with implementation of presentations/demonstrations at Benton Elementary School within the Columbia Public School district, Missouri. The school has recently adopted a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) centered learning system throughout all grade levels (K-5), and is therefore receptive to this effort. We have implemented a program in which we have given a series of scientific demonstrations at each grade level's lunch hour. Further enrichment ideas and plans include: addition demonstrations, hands-on experiments, and question and answer sessions. However, the application of these events would be to compliment the curriculum for the appropriate grade level at that time. The focus of this project is to develop public communications which links science museums, college students and local public schools with an emphasis on encouraging college science majors to share their knowledge and to strengthen their ability to work in a public environment.

  7. The Science Teaching Self-Efficacy of Prospective Elementary Education Majors Enrolled in Introductory Geology Lab Sections

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baldwin, Kathryn A.

    2014-01-01

    This study examined prospective elementary education majors' science teaching self-efficacy while they were enrolled in an introductory geology lab course for elementary education majors. The Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument Form B (STEBI-B) was administered during the first and last lab class sessions. Additionally, students were…

  8. Graduate Student Outreach: Model of a One-Day "Chemistry Camp" for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Houck, Joseph D.; Machamer, Natalie K.; Erickson, Karla A.

    2014-01-01

    One-day chemistry camps, managed by graduate students from the Departments of Chemistry at the Universities of Virginia (UVA) and Vermont (UVM), have proven successful as an outreach initiative. The camp model engages kindergarten through fifth grade elementary school students in hands-on, inquiry-based science experiments to educate and excite…

  9. Chemistry Provision for Primary Pupils: The Experiences of 10 Years of Bristol ChemLabs Outreach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harrison, Timothy G.; Shallcross, Dudley E.

    2016-01-01

    Bristol ChemLabS, the UK's Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in practical chemistry, delivers numerous outreach activity days per year for thousands of primary school pupils annually. These mainly comprise demonstration assemblies and hands on workshops for pupils in the main. The activities support the UK's Key Stage 2 science…

  10. The Children's Lab at Northern State University. Elementary Teachers Moving toward Scientific Literacy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knecht, Paul S.

    The Children's Lab at Northern State University (South Dakota) is a science concept development laboratory for use by students in a physical science course for preservice elementary teachers. Its function is to develop science content knowledge in preservice elementary teachers, with the ultimate goal of developing science literacy in children.…

  11. Re-designing an Earth Sciences outreach program for Rhode Island public elementary schools to address new curricular standards and logistical realities in the community

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richter, N.; Vachula, R. S.; Pascuzzo, A.; Prilipko Huber, O.

    2017-12-01

    In contrast to middle and high school students, elementary school students in Rhode Island (RI) have no access to dedicated science teachers, resulting in uneven quality and scope of science teaching across the state. In an attempt to improve science education in local public elementary schools, the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences (DEEPS) at Brown University initiated a student-driven science-teaching program that was supported by a NSF K-12 grant from 2007 to 2014. The program led to the development of an extensive in-house lesson plan database and supported student-led outreach and teaching in several elementary and middle school classrooms. After funding was terminated, the program continued on a volunteer basis, providing year-round science teaching for several second-grade classrooms. During the 2016-2017 academic year, New Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were introduced in RI public schools, and it became apparent that our outreach efforts required adaptation to be more efficient and relevant for both elementary school students and teachers. To meet these new needs, DEEPS, in collaboration with the Providence Public School District, created an intensive summer re-design program involving both graduate and undergraduate students. Three multi-lesson units were developed in collaboration with volunteer public school teachers to specifically address NGSS goals for earth science teaching in 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades. In the 2017-2018 academic year DEEPS students will co-teach the science lessons with the public school teachers in two local elementary schools. At the end of the next academic year all lesson plans and activities will be made publically available through a newly designed DEEPS outreach website. We herein detail our efforts to create and implement new educational modules with the goals of: (1) empowering teachers to instruct science, (2) engaging students and fostering lasting STEM interest and competency, (3) optimizing

  12. Partnership with informal education learning centers to develop hands-on activities for research outreach efforts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Courville, Z.; Haynes, R.; DeFrancis, G.; Koh, S.; Ringelberg, D.

    2012-12-01

    Outreach informed by scientific research plays an important role in fostering interest in science by making science and scientists accessible, fun, and interesting. Developing an interest in science in young, elementary-aged students through outreach is a rewarding endeavor for researchers, in that audiences are usually receptive, requirements for broader impacts are met, and bonds are formed between researchers and members of their local and surrounding communities. Promoting such interest among young students is imperative not only for an individual researcher's own self interest, but also for the strength of American science and innovation moving forward, and is the responsibility of the current generation of scientists. Developing genuine and successful inquiry-based, hands-on activities for elementary-aged students is outside the expertise of many researchers. Partnering with an informal education learning center (i.e. science museum or after-school program) provides researchers with the expertise they might be lacking in such endeavors. Here, we present a series of polar-, engineering- and microbiology-themed hands-on activities that have been developed by researchers at a government lab in partnership with a local science museum. Through a series of workshops, the science education staff at the museum provided researchers with background and instruction on inquiry and hands-on activities, and then collaborated with the researchers to develop activities which were later demonstrated at the museum to museum-goers. Education staff provided feedback about the presentation of the activities for further refinement. The program provided an opportunity for researchers to develop fun, on-target and age-appropriate science activities for elementary-aged students, an audience for outreach, and enabled general public audiences the chance to interact with researchers and scientists in an informal setting.

  13. Teaching Gene Technology in an Outreach Lab: Students' Assigned Cognitive Load Clusters and the Clusters' Relationships to Learner Characteristics, Laboratory Variables, and Cognitive Achievement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.

    2013-02-01

    This study classified students into different cognitive load (CL) groups by means of cluster analysis based on their experienced CL in a gene technology outreach lab which has instructionally been designed with regard to CL theory. The relationships of the identified student CL clusters to learner characteristics, laboratory variables, and cognitive achievement were examined using a pre-post-follow-up design. Participants of our day-long module Genetic Fingerprinting were 409 twelfth-graders. During the module instructional phases (pre-lab, theoretical, experimental, and interpretation phases), we measured the students' mental effort (ME) as an index of CL. By clustering the students' module-phase-specific ME pattern, we found three student CL clusters which were independent of the module instructional phases, labeled as low-level, average-level, and high-level loaded clusters. Additionally, we found two student CL clusters that were each particular to a specific module phase. Their members reported especially high ME invested in one phase each: within the pre-lab phase and within the interpretation phase. Differentiating the clusters, we identified uncertainty tolerance, prior experience in experimentation, epistemic interest, and prior knowledge as relevant learner characteristics. We found relationships to cognitive achievement, but no relationships to the examined laboratory variables. Our results underscore the importance of pre-lab and interpretation phases in hands-on teaching in science education and the need for teachers to pay attention to these phases, both inside and outside of outreach laboratory learning settings.

  14. A New Two-Step Approach for Hands-On Teaching of Gene Technology: Effects on Students' Activities during Experimentation in an Outreach Gene Technology Lab

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.

    2011-01-01

    Emphasis on improving higher level biology education continues. A new two-step approach to the experimental phases within an outreach gene technology lab, derived from cognitive load theory, is presented. We compared our approach using a quasi-experimental design with the conventional one-step mode. The difference consisted of additional focused…

  15. Teaching Gene Technology in an Outreach Lab: Students' Assigned Cognitive Load Clusters and the Clusters' Relationships to Learner Characteristics, Laboratory Variables, and Cognitive Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.

    2013-01-01

    This study classified students into different cognitive load (CL) groups by means of cluster analysis based on their experienced CL in a gene technology outreach lab which has instructionally been designed with regard to CL theory. The relationships of the identified student CL clusters to learner characteristics, laboratory variables, and…

  16. Supporting the K-12 Classroom through University Outreach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moskal, Barbara; Skokan, Catherine

    2011-01-01

    This article provides a field-based example of a series of outreach programs that have been designed in response to current recommendations found in the K-12 outreach literature. These programs begin with university mathematics and science faculty members teaching a 10-day summer workshop to elementary and middle school teachers. Following this…

  17. School outreach event

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2012-01-27

    Freddie Douglas, manager of the Stennis Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, joins students to watch a robotic demonstration during activities at Lillie Burney Elementary School in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Jan. 27, 2012. NASA senior staff members from Stennis Space Center visited the school for a morning of activities and outreach to students and school officials.

  18. Impact of Outreach on Physics Enrollment in Idaho

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shropshire, Steven

    2013-04-01

    Idaho State University Physics Outreach has many aspects, from workshops for teachers, demonstration presentations for schools and community groups, Science Olympics, science festivals, and a Haunted Science Lab. An overview of these programs will be presented, followed by a more detailed description of the mechanics and methods that have made physics outreach programs at ISU a success, and the impact they have had on physics enrollment at ISU. Suggestions on how to get started with science outreach, get funding, involve student and community members, and convince your colleagues and administration that these efforts are worth supporting will be provided.

  19. History of Outreach in National Centers for Foreign Languages and International Studies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wiley, Marylee

    Over the past decade, university-based outreach programs, established under the Title VI Higher Education Act in National Centers for Foreign Language and International Studies, have offered a variety of services to schools, community groups, the media, and other colleges and universities. Those outreach programs working in elementary and…

  20. A Study on Learning Effect among Different Learning Styles in a Web-Based Lab of Science for Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Koun-tem; Lin, Yuan-cheng; Yu, Chia-jui

    2008-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to explore the learning effect related to different learning styles in a Web-based virtual science laboratory for elementary school students. The online virtual lab allows teachers to integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into science lessons. The results of this experimental teaching method…

  1. Team LunaCY Outreach Paper

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heise, James; Hull, Bethanne J.

    2012-01-01

    Iowa State University's Lunabotics Club, Team LunaCY, has worked hard to generate enthusiasm for robotics, engineering, and lunar activities. Team LunaCY participated in a variety of different outreach events making a strong impression on Iowa youth. These events led the chair of the mechanical engineering department, Dr. Ted Heindel, to refer to the club's outreach program as "the model that all other engineering clubs should follow." Team LunaCY's outreach activities totaled over 200 hours and captivated over 3000 students and adults throughout the course of this acaden1ic year, reaching out to people all over Iowa and to several special guests. These guests included Vice-President Joe Biden, during a visit to Iowa State University in March 2012, and astronaut Clayton Anderson, during a visit to Iowa State's campus in the fall 2011. Team LunaCY's outreach events created hands on learning opportunities for local youth ranging in age from elementary school children to high school students. The team strove to make a positive impression on Iowa youth and to encourage interest and involvement in scientific fields. The full list of events is shown in Table 1. Three of the major outreach events the team participated in were the FIRST LEGO League, Science Bound, and iExplore STEM Festival.

  2. Project Return: Community Education Initiative and Babygram Hospital Outreach, 1991-92.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Office of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment.

    Project Return, a dropout recovery program to assist pregnant and parenting teenagers and parents of elementary school children to return to school, was first implemented in 1989-90. By 1991-92, there were two components of Project Return: its community education initiative in seven elementary schools, and the Babygram Hospital Outreach Program…

  3. Factors Influencing Teachers in Engaging with University Outreach: Is It Just Cost?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glover, S. R.; Harrison, T. G.; Shallcross, D. E.

    2016-01-01

    A chemistry outreach day event was offered, free-of-charge, to schools in the south west of England who do not normally engage with Bristol ChemLabS outreach events delivered at the University of Bristol. The participating teachers were interviewed to find out their expectations of the day in terms of helping their students or in helping the…

  4. Outreach programs in physics at Hampton University

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pittman, Carlane J.; Temple, Doyle A.

    1996-07-01

    The Department of Physics at Hampton University generates over 4.5 M dollars of external research funding annually and operates three research centers, the Nuclear High Energy Physics Research Center, the Research Center for Optical Physics, and the Center for Fusion Training and Research. An integral component of these centers is an active outreach and recruitment program led by the Associate Director for Outreach. This program includes summer internships and research mentorships, both at Hampton University and at national laboratories such as CEBAF and NASA Langley. Faculty presentations ar local area elementary schools, middle schools and high schools are also under the auspices of this program.

  5. From Computer Lab to Technology Class.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sherwood, Sandra

    1999-01-01

    Discussion of integrating technology into elementary school classrooms focuses on teacher training that is based on a three-year plan developed at an elementary school in Marathon, New York. Describes the role of a technology teacher who facilitates technology integration by running the computer lab, offering workshops, and developing inservice…

  6. Microgravity Outreach and Education

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rogers, Melissa J. B.; Rosenberg, Carla B.

    2000-01-01

    The NASA Microgravity Research Program has been actively developing classroom activities and educator's guides since the flight of the First United States Microgravity Laboratory. In addition, various brochures, posters, and exhibit materials have been produced for outreach efforts to the general public and to researchers outside of the program. These efforts are led by the Microgravity Research Outreach/Education team at Marshall Space Flight Center, with classroom material support from the K-12 Educational Program of The National Center for Microgravity Research on Fluids and Combustion (NCMR), general outreach material development by the Microgravity Outreach office at Hampton University, and electronic/media access coordinated by Marshall. The broad concept of the NCMR program is to develop a unique set of microgravity-related educational products that enable effective outreach to the pre-college community by supplementing existing mathematics, science, and technology curricula. The current thrusts of the program include summer teacher and high school internships during which participants help develop educational materials and perform research with NCMR and NASA scientists; a teacher sabbatical program which allows a teacher to concentrate on a major educational product during a full school year; frequent educator workshops held at NASA and at regional and national teachers conferences; a nascent student drop tower experiment competition; presentations and demonstrations at events that also reach the general public; and the development of elementary science and middle school mathematics classroom products. An overview of existing classroom products will be provided, along with a list of pertinent World Wide Web URLs. Demonstrations of some hands on activities will show the audience how simple it can be to bring microgravity into the classroom.

  7. Why Do Secondary School Chemistry Teachers Engage in Long-Term Outreach Partnership with a University?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glover, S. R.; Harrison, T. G.; Shallcross, D. E.

    2016-01-01

    While the effects of outreach with secondary school pupils has been researched the reasons teachers engage or the impacts on the teachers engaging in long-term relationships with a university department have not. Detailed interviews with chemistry teachers associated with outreach at Bristol ChemLabS have revealed many reasons for prolonged…

  8. Educational Outreach at the M.I.T. Plasma Fusion Center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Censabella, V.

    1996-11-01

    Educational outreach at the MIT Plasma Fusion Center consists of volunteers working together to increase the public's knowledge of fusion and plasma-related experiments. Seeking to generate excitement about science, engineering and mathematics, the PFC holds a number of outreach activities throughout the year, such as Middle and High School Outreach Days. Outreach also includes the Mr. Magnet Program, which uses an interactive strategy to engage elementary school children. Included in this year's presentation will be a new and improved C-MOD Jr, a confinement video game which helps students to discover how computers manipulate magnetic pulses to keep a plasma confined for as long as possible. Also on display will be an educational toy created by the Cambridge Physics Outlet, a PFC spin-off company. The PFC maintains a Home Page on the World Wide Web, which can be reached at http://cmod2.pfc.mit.edu/.

  9. Project Return and Babygram Hospital Outreach, 1993-94.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weiler, Jeanne

    Project Return, a dropout recovery program to assist pregnant and parenting teenagers and parents of elementary school children to return to school, was first implemented in 1989-90, and by 1993-94 had expanded to serve 19 sites in New York City. The Babygram Hospital Outreach program, an outgrowth of Project Return, operated in 12 hospitals and…

  10. Science for Kids Outreach Programs: College Students Teaching Science to Elementary Students and Their Parents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koehler, Birgit G.; Park, Lee Y.; Kaplan, Lawrence J.

    1999-11-01

    For a number of years we have been organizing and teaching a special outreach course during our Winter Study Program (the month of January). College students plan, develop, and present hands-on workshops to fourth-grade students and their parents, with faculty providing logistical support and pedagogical advice. Recent topics have been "Forensic Science", "Electricity and Magnetism", "Chemistry and Cooking", "Waves", "Natural Disasters", "Liquids", "Pressure", "Color and Light", "Momentum and Inertia", "Illusions", and "The Senses". The two-hour workshops, held one weekend on campus, emphasize hands-on experiments involving both the kids and the parents. Handouts for each workshop give instructions for doing several experiments at home. This program has been a great success for all involved: the college students gain insight into an aspect of science and what it takes to develop and teach that topic, the elementary school students participate in an exciting and challenging scientific exploration, and the parents have a chance to learn some science while spending time working on projects with their children. We provide an overview of the pedagogical aims of our current approach and a sense of the time-line for putting together such a program in a month.

  11. Outreach and Astronomy-Education Activities of the University of Arizona Astronomy Club

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McGraw, Allison M.; Hardegree-Ullman, K.; Walker-LaFollette, A.; Towner, A. P.

    2014-01-01

    The University of Arizona Astronomy Club provides unique outreach experiences for all ages. Our undergraduates work together to volunteer their time for various types of outreach events. This club uses several techniques to execute astronomy education such as hands-on 3D models, exciting demonstrations of scientific phenomena, and multiple small telescopes for both solar and night-time viewing. The students bring the models and telescopes to locations both on and off campus; from dark sky locations in the desert southwest to elementary schools, our undergraduates are willing to teach astronomy just about anywhere.

  12. Celebrating a history of excellence : the Federal Aviation Administration and Space Education Outreach Program.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-01-01

    Building on 75 years of experience, the FAAs : aviation and space education outreach : program is earning an A+ for encouraging elementary, : secondary, and even college students to study math, : science, technology, engineering, and a host of : o...

  13. SEAS Classroom to Sea Labs: New Directions for Ridge 2000 Communitywide Education Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goehring, L.

    2005-12-01

    Lessons learned from the two year SEAS pilot program emphasize that student participation in deep-sea research is an important motivator in student learning. Further, SEAS students experience a paradigm shift in understanding evidence-based reasoning and the process of scientific discovery. At the same time, we have learned that fostering authentic student investigations within the confines of the academic year is challenging and only fits classrooms with some academic flexibility. As a result, this year, SEAS will focus on the new Classroom to Sea Lab as a means to help foster student inquiry in the secondary school science classroom. The Classroom to Sea Lab invites student participation in deep-sea research but does so without requiring students to identify and propose suitable sea-going experiments. Classroom to Sea labs are designed to feature current deep-sea research, and emphasize critical skills in laboratory techniques, data collection and analysis, and scientific reporting. Labs are conducted in the classroom (by students) and at sea (by scientists for the students), resulting in parallel datasets for comparison. Labs also feature the work of practicing scientists. An annual Classroom to Sea Report Fair invites students to summarize their findings and submit written analyses for scientist feedback and prizes, emphasizing the importance of communications skills in science. This year, the SEAS program will feature the Shallow-water vs. Deep-sea Vent Mussel Classroom to Sea lab. In this lab, students explore differences in mussel anatomy and feeding strategies, and understand how chemosynthetic symbionts function in this animal. The lab instructs students to dissect shallow-water mussels and measure the proportion of gill tissue to total body tissue. Students are also instructed to download a dataset of vent mussel measurements and compare average proportions. Finally, students are invited to submit their analyses of the lab to the on-line Report Fair

  14. Logistics in the Computer Lab.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cowles, Jim

    1989-01-01

    Discusses ways to provide good computer laboratory facilities for elementary and secondary schools. Topics discussed include establishing the computer lab and selecting hardware; types of software; physical layout of the room; printers; networking possibilities; considerations relating to the physical environment; and scheduling methods. (LRW)

  15. Rural Teacher Education for the 21st Century: A Minnesota Outreach Model.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Halcrow, John H.

    In 1986 Bemidji State University (BSU), located in rural northern Minnesota, began an outreach distance learning program for the preservice education of elementary teachers. This college program delivers junior and senior year education courses to students 100 miles plus from the main campus. Junior and senior year requirements are completed in a…

  16. Let's Go Where the Kids Are: A Successful ICHEP Outreach Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bardeen, Marjorie

    2017-01-01

    The ICHEP Local Organizing Committee created a partnership with the Chicago Public Library to put on physics presentations at neighborhood libraries in conjunction with ICHEP 2016. Each engaging presentation was offered by two physicists or engineers with interest and experience in outreach from universities and labs around the world. Most were ICHEP attendees, but some were local presenters including a group of graduate students from the University of Chicago and the Illinois Institute of Technology. The conference was committed to community outreach, and we were delighted to ``pop-up'' in Chicago neighborhoods with a science program geared for children ages 6-18. We reached over 675 ``neighbors'' at 30 libraries citywide. The presentations were so successful that the libraries plan to host more presentations offered by Fermilab during the school year. We describe our experience as a model adaptable for other meetings and conferences or as part of a university outreach program and in partnership with other venues such park districts.

  17. Evaluating the Authenticity of Egyptian Cartonnage Fragments: Educational Outreach in Search of the Truth.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marty, Paul; Sheahan, Kim; Lacy, Ann

    This paper presents preliminary results from a five year longitudinal study on the efficacy of integrating museum resources into elementary and middle school curricula through educational outreach activities, over the Internet and in the classroom. From 1997 to 2003, museum educators at the University of Illinois' Spurlock Museum have explored how…

  18. Overview of the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program of the Caltech Tectonics Observatory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kovalenko, L.; Jain, K.; Maloney, J.

    2009-12-01

    The Caltech Tectonics Observatory (TO) is an interdisciplinary center, focused on geological processes occurring at the boundaries of Earth's tectonic plates (http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu). Over the past year, the TO has made a major effort to develop an Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program. Our goals are to (1) stimulate the interest of students and the general public in Earth Sciences, particularly in the study of tectonic processes, (2) inform and educate the general public about science in the context of TO discoveries and advancements, and (3) provide opportunities for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty to do outreach in the local K-12 schools. We have hosted local high school students and teachers to provide them with research experience (as part of Caltech’s “Summer Research Connection”); participated in teacher training workshops (organized by the local school district); hosted tours for local elementary school students; and brought hands-on activities into local elementary and middle school classrooms, science clubs, and science nights. We have also led local school students and teachers on geology field trips through nearby parks. In addition, we have developed education modules for undergraduate classes (as part of MARGINS program), and have written educational web articles on TO research (http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu/outreach). The presentation will give an overview of these activities and their impact on our educational program.

  19. Design Lab. USMES "How To" Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donahoe, Charles; And Others

    The major emphasis in all Unified Sciences and Mathematics for Elementary Schools (USMES) units is on open-ended, long-range investigations of real problems. Since children often design and build things in USMES, 26 "Design Lab" cards provide information on the safe use and simple maintenance of tools. Each card has a large photograph of…

  20. The Hidden Costs of Wireless Computer Labs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daly, Una

    2005-01-01

    Various elementary schools and middle schools across the U.S. have purchased one or more mobile laboratories. Although the wireless labs have provided more classroom computing, teachers and technology aides still have mixed views about their cost-benefit ratio. This is because the proliferation of viruses and spyware has dramatically increased…

  1. ASA education outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hansen, Uwe J.; Everbach, E. Carr

    2003-04-01

    A number of very successful Hands-on demo sessions for high school students have been a part of regular ASA meetings for some time. In addition, the Education Committee has organized a series of teacher workshops. These workshops are designed to give high school teachers relatively sophisticated tools to enhance their laboratory content. Workshops for teachers in the elementary grades prepare teachers to use music as a vehicle to introduce additional science concepts. Content and methods associated with both workshops will be discussed. Cyberspace outreach by the ASA was accelerated by the establishment of a Home Page Committee, and more recently by the On-Line Education committee, which is creating an educational website. The website provides a fun way for users to access information including acoustics information, history, demos, and links to the Technical Committee's webpages. The ASA has joined other AIP member societies in developing additional mechanisms, including road shows and nightly news spots.

  2. Have computers, will travel: providing on-site library instruction in rural health facilities using a portable computer lab.

    PubMed

    Neilson, Christine J

    2010-01-01

    The Saskatchewan Health Information Resources Partnership (SHIRP) provides library instruction to Saskatchewan's health care practitioners and students on placement in health care facilities as part of its mission to provide province-wide access to evidence-based health library resources. A portable computer lab was assembled in 2007 to provide hands-on training in rural health facilities that do not have computer labs of their own. Aside from some minor inconveniences, the introduction and operation of the portable lab has gone smoothly. The lab has been well received by SHIRP patrons and continues to be an essential part of SHIRP outreach.

  3. The SPS Intern Experience: Preparing the 2009 SPS Outreach Catalyst Kit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watkins, Erica; Mills, Mary E.; Stacy, Scott A.; White, Gary; Rand, Kendra

    2010-02-01

    The Society of Physics Students' (SPS) Outreach Catalyst Kit -- also known as the SOCK, is a collection of exploratory physics and science activities specifically designed for SPS Chapters and collegiate physics departments to use in outreach presentations to local elementary, middle and high school students. New SOCKs have been prepared every year since 2001 by SPS national interns and office staff. This year's SOCK has a theme centered around Galileo Galilei and his experiments, in honor of 2009 being the International Year of Astronomy. The SOCK contains lessons, demonstration, and activities that span topics such as optics and the refracting telescope, inclined planes and the formation of moon craters. In this talk, I will highlight the procedure SPS uses in preparing and testing the SOCK activities at various pilot sites as well as discuss my overall experience as an SPS intern. )

  4. National Labs Host Classroom Ready Energy Educational Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Howell, C. D.

    2009-12-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) has a clear goal of joining all climate and energy agencies in the task of taking climate and energy research and development to communities across the nation and throughout the world. Only as information on climate and energy education is shared with the nation and world do research labs begin to understand the massive outreach work yet to be accomplished. The work at hand is to encourage and ensure the climate and energy literacy of our society. The national labs have defined the K-20 population as a major outreach focus, with the intent of helping them see their future through the global energy usage crisis and ensure them that they have choices and a chance to redirect their future. Students embrace climate and energy knowledge and do see an opportunity to change our energy future in a positive way. Students are so engaged that energy clubs are springing up in highschools across the nation. Because of such global clubs university campuses are being connected throughout the world (Energy Crossroads www.energycrossroads.org) etc. There is a need and an interest, but what do teachers need in order to faciliate this learning? It is simple, they need financial support for classroom resources; standards based classroom ready lessons and materials; and, training. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a Department of Energy Lab, provides standards based education materials to schools across the nation. With a focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency education, NREL helps educators to prompt students to analyze and then question their energy choices and evaluate their carbon footprint. Classrooms can then discover the effects of those choices on greenhouse gas emmissions and climate change. The DOE Office of Science has found a way to contribute to teachers professional development through the Department of Energy Academics Creating Teacher Scientists (DOE ACTS) Program. This program affords teachers an opportunity to

  5. Pennies and Eggs: Initiation into Inquiry Learning for Preservice Elementary Education Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wink, Donald J.; Hwang-Choe, Jeong Hye

    2008-01-01

    Two labs incorporating the Science Writing Heuristic are described that introduce scientific inquiry in a course for preservice students majoring in elementary education. One lab adapts a previously described discovery learning opportunity involving the change in composition and mass of pennies in 1982. The other involves the use of flotation…

  6. A versatile lab-on-chip test platform to characterize elementary deformation mechanisms and electromechanical couplings in nanoscopic objects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pardoen, Thomas; Colla, Marie-Sthéphane; Idrissi, Hosni; Amin-Ahmadi, Behnam; Wang, Binjie; Schryvers, Dominique; Bhaskar, Umesh K.; Raskin, Jean-Pierre

    2016-03-01

    A nanomechanical on-chip test platform has recently been developed to deform under a variety of loading conditions freestanding thin films, ribbons and nanowires involving submicron dimensions. The lab-on-chip involves thousands of elementary test structures from which the elastic modulus, strength, strain hardening, fracture, creep properties can be extracted. The technique is amenable to in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations to unravel the fundamental underlying deformation and fracture mechanisms that often lead to size-dependent effects in small-scale samples. The method allows addressing electrical and magnetic couplings as well in order to evaluate the impact of large mechanical stress levels on different solid-state physics phenomena. We had the chance to present this technique in details to Jacques Friedel in 2012 who, unsurprisingly, made a series of critical and very relevant suggestions. In the spirit of his legacy, the paper will address both mechanics of materials related phenomena and couplings with solids state physics issues.

  7. Outreach program by measurements of frost depth in Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harada, K.; Yoshikawa, K.; Iwahana, G.; Stanilovskaya, J. V.; Sawada, Y.

    2015-12-01

    In order to emphasis their interest for earth sciences, an outreach program through measurements of frost depth is conducting in Japan since 2011. This program is made at elementary, junior high and high schools in Hokkaido, northern part of Japan where seasonal ground freezing occurs in winter. At schools, a lecture was made and a frost tube was set at schoolyard, as the same tube and protocol as UAF's Permafrost Outreach Program, using clear tube with blue-colored water. Frost depth was measured directly once a week at each school by students during ground freezing under no snow-removal condition. In 2011 season, we started this program at three schools, and the number of participated school is extended to 29 schools in 2014 winter season, 23 elementary schools, 5 junior high schools and one high school. We visited schools summer time and just before frost season to talk about the method of measurement. After the end of measured period, we also visited schools to explain measured results by each school and the other schools in Japan, Alaska, Canada and Russia. The measured values of frost depth in Hokkaido were ranged between 0cm and more than 50cm. We found that the frost depth depends on air temperature and snow depth. We discussed with student why the frost depth ranged widely and explained the effect of snow by using the example of igloo. In order to validate the effect of snow and to compare frost depths, we tried to measure frost depths under snow-removal and no snow-removal conditions at one elementary school. At the end of December, depths had no significant difference between these conditions, 11cm and 10cm, and the difference went to 14cm, 27cm and 13cm after one month, with about 30cm of snow depth. After these measurements and lectures, students noticed snow has a role as insulator and affects the frost depth. The network of this program will be expected to expand, finally more than a hundred schools.

  8. Making Stuff Outreach at the Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ament, Katherine; Karsjen, Steven; Leshem-Ackerman, Adah

    The U. S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory in Ames, Iowa was a coalition partner for outreach activities connected with NOVA's Making Stuff television series on PBS. Volunteers affiliated with the Ames Laboratory and Iowa State University, with backgrounds in materials science, took part in activities including a science-themed Family Night at a local mall, Science Cafes at the Science Center of Iowa, teacher workshops, demonstrations at science nights in elementary and middle schools, and various other events. We describe a selection of the activities and present a summary of their outcomes and extent of their impact on Ames, Desmore » Moines and the surrounding communities in Iowa. In Part 2, results of a volunteer attitude survey are presented, which shed some light on the volunteer experience and show how the volunteers participation in outreach activities has affected their views of materials education.« less

  9. Novartis School Lab: bringing young people closer to the world of research and discovering the excitement of science.

    PubMed

    Michel, Christiane Röckl; Standke, Gesche; Naef, Reto

    2012-01-01

    The Novartis School Lab (http://www.novartis.ch/schullabor) is an institution with an old tradition. The School Lab reaches about 5000 students through internal courses and an additional 5000 children at public science events where they can enjoy hands-on science in disciplines of biomedical research. The subjects range from chemistry, physics, molecular biology and genetics to toxicology and medical topics. The Novartis School Lab offers a variety of activities for youngsters aged 10-20 ranging from lab courses for school classes, continuing education for teachers and development of teaching kits, support for individual research projects to outreach for public science events. Innovation and adaptation to changes of current needs are essential aspects for the Novartis School Lab. Ongoing activities to shape the Novartis Biomedical Learning Lab include design of new teaching experiments, exploration into additional disciplines of biomedical science and the creation of a fascinating School Lab of the future.

  10. Game, cloud architecture and outreach for The BIG Bell Test

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abellan, Carlos; Tura, Jordi; Garcia, Marta; Beduini, Federica; Hirschmann, Alina; Pruneri, Valerio; Acin, Antonio; Marti, Maria; Mitchell, Morgan

    The BIG Bell test uses the input from the Bellsters, self-selected human participants introducing zeros and ones through an online videogame, to perform a suite of quantum physics experiments. In this talk, we will explore the videogame, the data infrastructure and the outreach efforts of the BIG Bell test collaboration. First, we will discuss how the game was designed so as to eliminate possible feedback mechanisms that could influence people's behavior. Second, we will discuss the cloud architecture design for scalability as well as explain how we sent each individual bit from the users to the labs. Also, and using all the bits collected via the BIG Bell test interface, we will show a data analysis on human randomness, e.g. are younger Bellsters more random than older Bellsters? Finally, we will talk about the outreach and communication efforts of the BIG Bell test collaboration, exploring both the social media campaigns as well as the close interaction with teachers and educators to bring the project into classrooms.

  11. Recovery Act - An Interdisciplinary Program for Education and Outreach in Transportation Electrification

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anderson, Carl; Bohmann, Leonard; Naber, Jeffrey

    2013-01-30

    to industry, K-12 outreach, and public education. In 2012 the Mobile Lab participated in 22 outreach events, locally, throughout Michigan, and including events in Washington DC, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The Mobile Lab is a hit wherever it goes. In 2013 we will partner with the US Army TARDEC and be featured in their Green Warrior Convoy, a ten city tour starting in Detroit and finishing in Washington DC.« less

  12. Girls In STEM White Coat Ceremony 2017

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Neal, Kelsey Ann Elizabeth; Coronado, Elizabeth

    Like working with children? Who doesn’t? Girls in STEM has myriad opportunities for you to help local Title 1 students in the classroom. You can choose to volunteer from the Lab, from the Bradbury Science Museum, or to travel to Abiquiu Elementary School (car provided) to do a science demonstration. The best part is that you can use the Community Outreach Partnership Code.

  13. Engaging Scientists in NASA Education and Public Outreach: Informal Science Education and Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lawton, Brandon L.; Smith, D. A.; Bartolone, L.; Meinke, B. K.; Discovery Guides Collaborative, Universe; Collaborative, NASAScience4Girls; SEPOF Informal Education Working Group; E/PO Community, SMD

    2014-01-01

    The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its education and public outreach (E/PO) community through a coordinated effort to enhance the coherence and efficiency of SMD-funded E/PO programs. The Forums foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. We present opportunities for the astronomy community to participate in collaborations supporting the NASA SMD efforts in the Informal Science Education and Outreach communities. Members of the Informal Science Education and Outreach communities include museum/science center/planetarium professionals, librarians, park rangers, amateur astronomers, and other out-of-school-time educators. The Forums’ efforts for the Informal Science Education and Outreach communities include a literature review, appraisal of informal educators’ needs, coordination of audience-based NASA resources and opportunities, and professional development. Learn how to join in our collaborative efforts to reach the informal science education and outreach communities based upon mutual needs and interests.

  14. AstroFest: A Case Study of an Astronomy Outreach Program at Penn State University

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palma, C.; Charlton, J. C.

    2003-12-01

    The Pennsylvania State University Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics has developed a multi-faceted approach to outreach in astronomy. Our programs include In-Service Workshops in Astronomy for middle-school and high-school science teachers, planetarium shows for local elementary school classes, and a series of sponsored, popular level talks, for example. One of our most popular outreach events is called ``AstroFest"; this is a four night festival of astronomy that we hold concurrently with the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts (``ArtsFest"). The AstroFest program was devised by undergraduate students during the summer of 1999, and we continue to hold it annually. Each night of the event, we offer talks at a popular level on subjects such as black holes, life on Mars, and the world's largest telescopes. Throughout the night we also offer planetarium shows, a chance to use our rooftop telescopes, a question & answer table with prizes, kids' activities that include launching bubble rockets, and a number of other demonstrations and tours. In this poster, I present the full complement of astronomy outreach programs offered by Penn State, and I focus in particular on AstroFest as a case study that highlights the challenges we face and the positive outcomes we have realized. Funding for our outreach program has come from several sources, including NASA E/PO supplement grants, the STScI IDEAS program, The Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium, and the Pennsylvania State University Eberly College of Science.

  15. A Multi-Year Study of the Impact of the Rice Model Teacher Professional Development on Elementary Science Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Diaconu, Dana Viorica; Radigan, Judy; Suskavcevic, Milijana; Nichol, Carolyn

    2012-01-01

    A teacher professional development program for in-service elementary school science teachers, the Rice Elementary Model Science Lab (REMSL), was developed for urban school districts serving predominately high-poverty, high-minority students. Teachers with diverse skills and science capacities came together in Professional Learning Communities, one…

  16. CAN-DOO: The Climate Action Network through Direct Observations and Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taubman, B.; Sherman, J. P.; Perry, L. B.; Markham, J.; Kelly, G.

    2011-12-01

    The urgency of climate change demands a greater understanding of our climate system, not only by the leaders of today, but by the scientists, policy makers, and citizens of tomorrow. Unfortunately, a large segment of the population currently possesses inadequate knowledge of climate science. In direct response to a need for greater scientific literacy with respect to climate science, researchers from Appalachian State University's Appalachian Atmospheric Interdisciplinary Research (AppalAIR) group, with support from NASA, have developed CAN-DOO: the Climate Action Network through Direct Observations and Outreach. CAN-DOO addresses climate science literacy by 1) Developing the infrastructure for sustaining and expanding public outreach through long-term climate measurements capable of complementing existing NASA measurements, 2) Enhancing public awareness of climate science and NASA's role in advancing our understanding of the Earth System, and 3) Introducing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics principles to homeschooled, public school, and Appalachian State University students through applied climate science activities. Project partners include the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, and local elementary schools. In partnership with Grandfather Mountain, climate science awareness is promoted through citizen science activities, interactive public displays, and staff training. CAN-DOO engages students by involving them in the entire scientific investigative process as applied to climate science. We introduce local elementary and middle school students, homeschooled students throughout North Carolina, and undergraduate students in a new Global Climate Change course and select other courses at Appalachian State University to instrument assembly, measurement techniques, data collection, hypothesis testing, and drawing conclusions. Results are placed in the proper context via comparisons with other student

  17. Chromosome Disorder Outreach

    MedlinePlus

    ... Chromosome Disorder Outreach, Inc is a non-profit organization. Founded, supported, and run by parents just like ... Chromosome Disorder Outreach, Inc, a 501c non-profit organization. CDO is a 501C3 non-profit organization. FL ...

  18. A New Two-Step Approach for Hands-On Teaching of Gene Technology: Effects on Students' Activities During Experimentation in an Outreach Gene Technology Lab

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.

    2011-08-01

    Emphasis on improving higher level biology education continues. A new two-step approach to the experimental phases within an outreach gene technology lab, derived from cognitive load theory, is presented. We compared our approach using a quasi-experimental design with the conventional one-step mode. The difference consisted of additional focused discussions combined with students writing down their ideas (step one) prior to starting any experimental procedure (step two). We monitored students' activities during the experimental phases by continuously videotaping 20 work groups within each approach ( N = 131). Subsequent classification of students' activities yielded 10 categories (with well-fitting intra- and inter-observer scores with respect to reliability). Based on the students' individual time budgets, we evaluated students' roles during experimentation from their prevalent activities (by independently using two cluster analysis methods). Independently of the approach, two common clusters emerged, which we labeled as `all-rounders' and as `passive students', and two clusters specific to each approach: `observers' as well as `high-experimenters' were identified only within the one-step approach whereas under the two-step conditions `managers' and `scribes' were identified. Potential changes in group-leadership style during experimentation are discussed, and conclusions for optimizing science teaching are drawn.

  19. Laboratory-based educational and outreach activities in the framework of a CAREER award at the University of Oregon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bindeman, I. N.

    2011-12-01

    The Stable Isotope Laboratory at the University of Oregon has been used as a learning and outreach center in the framework of the 09 award entitled "Stable isotope insights into large-volume volcanic eruptions". The PI and other members of the group have actively recruitted undergraduate students, summer session and catalytic outreach undergraduates, and hosted international students, visitors, and collaborators from Russia, Iceland, France, the UK, Australia, and Switzerland. We also integrated closely with the Oregon-wide summer program that brings community college students to the University of Oregon for 2.5 months summer research residence (UCORE). In total we gave supervised five undergraduate students and three UCORE students. Additionally, we recruited undergraduates from U of Chicago, Colorado and Pomona Colleges to spend summers in the lab and in the field. In conjunction with the NSF funded PIRE program, two female graduate and one female undergraduate students participated in fieldwork in Kamchatka, and three Kamchatka undergraduates, and one Moscow graduate student visited the University Oregon. Students performed their own projects or Senior Theses and reported their results locally and at AGU conferences. We developed a management structure in which graduate students, a postdoc, and lab technician co-supervised students and visitors and this exposed them into the supervisory roles, contributed to the project progress, and liberated PI from micromanagement duties. The talk will present our experience with this management concept of a lab-based-learning initiative, which defines roles for each member of the lab. Our outreach activities included public lectures at community colleges by PI and a graduate student, and the topical Penrose conference co-organized by the PI, which attracted many students and visitors who collected their data in the lab. PI has introduced a voluntary fieldtrip as a part of his Volcanoes and Earthquake large enrollment class

  20. Issues for laboratory outreach programs.

    PubMed

    1994-01-01

    As we saw in the last "As We See It," many hospitals have begun outreach programs. We explored why outreach programs are established, the steps needed to develop a program, and the way to establish the proper business culture in a hospital laboratory for running a successful program. In this issue we identify the new skills laboratory managers need to be outreach managers, show how some programs maintain a competitive advantage, and explain some of the effects health-care reform will have on outreach services, as we ask: What are the requirements and issues involved in operating a successful laboratory outreach program?

  1. Outreach event

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2012-06-05

    A Stennis Space Center employee talks to young people gathered for a NASA outreach activity at the Boys and Girls Club in Yazoo City, Miss., on June 5, 2012. The Stennis Office of External Affairs hosted outreach activities during a farmers' market in Canton on June 2 prior to visiting Yazoo City. In each instance, visitors were able to collect information about NASA, rocket engine testing and other work at Stennis.

  2. Implementing an Education and Outreach Program for the Gemini Observatory in Chile.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garcia, M. A.

    2006-08-01

    Beginning in 2001, the Gemini Observatory began the development of an innovative and aggressive education and outreach program at its Southern Hemisphere site in northern Chile. A principal focus of this effort is centered on local education and outreach to communities surrounding the observatory and its base facility in La Serena Chile. Programs are now established with local schools using two portable StarLab planetaria, an internet-based teacher exchange called StarTeachers and multiple partnerships with local educational institutions. Other elements include a CD-ROM-based virtual tour that allows students, teachers and the public to experience the observatory's sites in Chile and Hawaii. This virtual environment allows interaction using a variety of immersive scenarios such as a simulated observation using real data from Gemini. Pilot projects like "Live from Gemini" are currently being developed which use internet videoconferencing technologies to bring the observatory's facilities into classrooms at universities and remote institutions. Lessons learned from the implementation of these and other programs will be introduced and the challenges of developing educational programming in a developing country will be shared.

  3. 42 CFR 457.90 - Outreach.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMS (SCHIPs) ALLOTMENTS AND GRANTS TO STATES Introduction; State Plans for Child Health Insurance Programs and Outreach Strategies § 457.90 Outreach. (a) Procedures required. A... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Outreach. 457.90 Section 457.90 Public Health...

  4. Advanced LabVIEW Labs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jones, Eric D.

    1999-06-17

    In the world of computer-based data acquisition and control, the graphical interface program LabVIEW from National Instruments is so ubiquitous that in many ways it has almost become the laboratory standard. To date, there have been approximately fifteen books concerning LabVIEW, but Professor Essick's treatise takes on a completely different tack than all of the previous discussions. In the more standard treatments of the ways and wherefores of LabVIEW such as LabVIEW Graphical Programming: Practical Applications in Instrumentation and Control by Gary W. Johnson (McGraw Hill, NY 1997), the emphasis has been instructing the reader how to program LabVIEW tomore » create a Virtual Instrument (VI) on the computer for interfacing to a particular instruments. LabVIEW is written in G a graphical programming language developed by National Instruments. In the past the emphasis has been on training the experimenter to learn G . Without going into details here, G incorporates the usual loops, arithmetic expressions, etc., found in many programming languages, but in an icon (graphical) environment. The net result being that LabVIEW contains all of the standard methods needed for interfacing to instruments, data acquisition, data analysis, graphics, and also methodology to incorporate programs written in other languages into LabVIEW. Historically, according to Professor Essick, he developed a series of experiments for an upper division laboratory course for computer-based instrumentation. His observation was that while many students had the necessary background in computer programming languages, there were students who had virtually no concept about writing a computer program let alone a computer- based interfacing program. Thus the beginnings of a concept for not only teaching computer- based instrumentation techniques, but aiso a method for the beginner to experience writing a com- puter program. Professor Essick saw LabVIEW as the perfect environment in which to teach

  5. Advanced LabVIEW Labs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jones, Eric D.

    1999-06-17

    In the world of computer-based data acquisition and control, the graphical interface program LabVIEW from National Instruments is so ubiquitous that in many ways it has almost become the laboratory standard. To date, there have been approximately fifteen books concerning LabVIEW, but Professor Essick's treatise takes on a completely different tack than all of the previous discussions. In the more standard treatments of the ways and wherefores of LabVIEW such as LabVIEW Graphical Programming: Practical Applications in Instrumentation and Control by Gary W. Johnson (McGraw Hill, NY 1997), the emphasis has been instructing the reader how to program LabVIEW tomore » create a Virtual Instrument (VI) on the computer for interfacing to a particular instruments. LabVIEW is written in "G" a graphical programming language developed by National Instruments. In the past the emphasis has been on training the experimenter to learn "G". Without going into details here, "G" incorporates the usual loops, arithmetic expressions, etc., found in many programming languages, but in an icon (graphical) environment. The net result being that LabVIEW contains all of the standard methods needed for interfacing to instruments, data acquisition, data analysis, graphics, and also methodology to incorporate programs written in other languages into LabVIEW. Historically, according to Professor Essick, he developed a series of experiments for an upper division laboratory course for computer-based instrumentation. His observation was that while many students had the necessary background in computer programming languages, there were students who had virtually no concept about writing a computer program let alone a computer- based interfacing program. Thus the beginnings of a concept for not only teaching computer- based instrumentation techniques, but aiso a method for the beginner to experience writing a com- puter program. Professor Essick saw LabVIEW as the "perfect environment in which to

  6. 12 CFR 517.5 - Outreach.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Outreach. 517.5 Section 517.5 Banks and Banking OFFICE OF THRIFT SUPERVISION, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CONTRACTING OUTREACH PROGRAMS § 517.5 Outreach... registration of minority-, women-owned (small and large) businesses and entities owned by individuals with...

  7. Coquina Elementary students enjoy gift of computers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    Children at Coquina Elementary School, Titusville, Fla., 'practice' using a computer keyboard, part of equipment donated by Kennedy Space Center. Coquina is one of 13 Brevard County schools receiving 81 excess contractor computers thanks to an innovative educational outreach project spearheaded by the Nasa k-12 Education Services Office at ksc. The Astronaut Memorial Foundation, a strategic partner in the effort, and several schools in rural Florida and Georgia also received refurbished computers as part of the year-long project. Ksc employees put in about 3,300 volunteer hours to transform old, excess computers into upgraded, usable units. A total of $90,000 in upgraded computer equipment is being donated.

  8. Coquina Elementary students enjoy gift of computers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    Children at Coquina Elementary School, Titusville, Fla., look with curiosity at the wrapped computer equipment donated by Kennedy Space Center. Coquina is one of 13 Brevard County schools receiving 81 excess contractor computers thanks to an innovative educational outreach project spearheaded by the Nasa k-12 Education Services Office at ksc. The Astronaut Memorial Foundation, a strategic partner in the effort, and several schools in rural Florida and Georgia also received refurbished computers as part of the year-long project. Ksc employees put in about 3,300 volunteer hours to transform old, excess computers into upgraded, usable units. A total of $90,000 in upgraded computer equipment is being donated.

  9. Audubon Elementary students enjoy gift of computers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    Children at Audubon Elementary School, Merritt Island, Fla., eagerly unwrap computer equipment donated by Kennedy Space Center. Audubon is one of 13 Brevard County schools receiving 81 excess contractor computers thanks to an innovative educational outreach project spearheaded by the Nasa k-12 Education Services Office at ksc. The Astronaut Memorial Foundation, a strategic partner in the effort, and several schools in rural Florida and Georgia also received refurbished computers as part of the year- long project. Ksc employees put in about 3,300 volunteer hours to transform old, excess computers into upgraded, usable units. A total of $90,000 in upgraded computer equipment is being donated.

  10. Coquina Elementary students enjoy gift of computers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    Children at Coquina Elementary School, Titusville, Fla., eagerly tear into the wrapped computer equipment donated by Kennedy Space Center. Coquina is one of 13 Brevard County schools receiving 81 excess contractor computers thanks to an innovative educational outreach project spearheaded by the Nasa k-12 Education Services Office at ksc. The Astronaut Memorial Foundation, a strategic partner in the effort, and several schools in rural Florida and Georgia also received refurbished computers as part of the year- long project. Ksc employees put in about 3,300 volunteer hours to transform old, excess computers into upgraded, usable units. A total of $90,000 in upgraded computer equipment is being donated.

  11. Coquina Elementary students enjoy gift of computers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    Children at Coquina Elementary School, Titusville, Fla., excitedly tear into the wrapped computer equipment donated by Kennedy Space Center. Coquina is one of 13 Brevard County schools receiving 81 excess contractor computers thanks to an innovative educational outreach project spearheaded by the Nasa k-12 Education Services Office at ksc. The Astronaut Memorial Foundation, a strategic partner in the effort, and several schools in rural Florida and Georgia also received refurbished computers as part of the year-long project. Ksc employees put in about 3,300 volunteer hours to transform old, excess computers into upgraded, usable units. A total of $90,000 in upgraded computer equipment is being donated.

  12. A Medical Outreach Elective Course

    PubMed Central

    Storer, Amanda; Caldwell, David; Smith, Jennifer

    2013-01-01

    Objective. To design and implement a Medical Outreach Experience elective course and assess its impact on students’ level of confidence in organizing future medical outreach trips, providing population-specific pharmaceutical care, and achieving learning outcomes. Design. A 2-credit hour elective course was designed for second- and third-year pharmacy students. The course was structured to include 3 sections over 1 semester, a 10-week training and preparation phase, followed by a weeklong international outreach experience and post-outreach reflection. Assessment. Student achievement of curricular outcomes was measured using in-class activities, readings, reflections, and longitudinal projects, as well as performance during the outreach trip. Results from pre- and post-course surveys demonstrated significant improvement in student-rated confidence in several components of outreach trip organization and provision of pharmaceutical care. Conclusions. Students completing the course exhibited increased confidence in their abilities to organize and practice on a medical outreach trip. All students met the learning outcomes of the course, which included providing comprehensive patient-specific pharmaceutical care, communicating effectively, promoting health improvement and self-care, thinking critically, and appropriately managing and using resources of the healthcare system. Students agreed that the elective course was a valuable addition to the curriculum. PMID:23716746

  13. Optics outreach activities with elementary school kids from public education in Mexico

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viera-González, P.; Sánchez-Guerrero, G.; Ruiz-Mendoza, J.; Cárdenas-Ortiz, G.; Ceballos-Herrera, D.; Selvas-Aguilar, R.

    2014-09-01

    This work shows the results obtained from the "O4K" Project supported by International Society for Optics and Photonis (SPIE) and the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL) through its SPIE Student Chapter and the Dr. Juan Carlos Ruiz-Mendoza, outreach coordinator of the Facultad de Ciencias Fisico Matematicas of the UANL. Undergraduate and graduate students designed Optics representative activities using easy-access materials that allow the interaction of children with optics over the exploration, observation and experimentation, taking as premise that the best way to learn Science is the interaction with it. Several activities were realized through the 2011-2013 events with 1,600 kids with ages from 10 to 12; the results were analyzed using surveys. One of the principal conclusions is that in most of the cases the children changed their opinions about Sciences in a positive way.

  14. Outreach to Scientists and Engineers at the Hanford Technical Library

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Buxton, Karen A.

    Staff at the Hanford Technical Library has developed a suite of programs designed to help busy researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) make better use of library products and services. Programs include formal training classes, one-on-one consultations, and targeted email messages announcing new materials to researchers in specific fields. A staple of outreach has been to teach classes to library clients covering research tools in their fields. These classes started out in the library classroom and then expanded to other venues around PNNL. Class surveys indicated that many researchers desired a practical approach to learning rather than themore » traditional lecture format. The library instituted “Library Learning Day” and hosted classes in the PNNL computer training room to provide lab employees with a hands-on learning experience. Classes are generally offered at noon and lab staff attends classes on their lunch hour. Many just do not have time to spend a full hour in training. Library staff added some experimental half-hour mini classes in campus buildings geared to the projects and interests of researchers there to see if this format was more appealing. As other programs have developed librarians are teaching fewer classes but average attendance figures has remained fairly stable from 2005-2007. In summer of 2004 the library began the Traveling Librarian program. Librarians call-on groups and individuals in 24 buildings on the Richland Washington campus. Five full-time and two part-time librarians are involved in the program. Librarians usually send out email announcements prior to visits and encourage scientists and engineers to make appointments for a brief 15 minute consultation in the researcher’s own office. During the meeting lab staff learn about products or product features that can help them work more productively. Librarians also make cold calls to staff that do not request a consultation and may not be making full use

  15. Outreach and education from EuroGeoMoonMars2009 Field Campaign in Utah

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Foing, Bernard H.

    The goal of the EuroGeoMoonMars mission at Utah Desert Research station(from 24 January to 28 February 2009) was to demonstrate instruments from ExoGeoLab pilot project, to support the interpretation of ongoing lunar and planetary missions, to validate a procedure for surface in-situ and return science, to study human performance aspects, and perform outreach and education projects. The EuroGeoMoonMars campaign included four sets of objectives: 1) Technology demonstration aspects: a set of instruments were deployed, tested, assessed, and training was provided to scientists using them in subsequent rotations 2) Research aspects: a series of field science and exploration investigations were conducted in geology, geochemistry, biology, astronomy, with synergies with space missions and research from planetary surfaces and Earth extreme environments. 3) Human crew related aspects, i.e. (a) evaluation of the different functions and interfaces of a planetary habitat, (b) crew time organization in this habitat, (c) evaluation of man-machine interfaces of science and technical equipment; 4) Education, outreach, communications, multi-cultural public relations Outreach, education and inspiration: We produced written, pictures, and video materials that can be used for education, outreach and public relations. Daily reports were posted on the MDRS website. We had during the Technical crew preparation, the visit of film producer Mark Arabella and film crew for a Moon related National Geographics documentary "Earth without the Moon". Two media crew visitors stayed also in the Hab to film our activities documenting the operational, research, human, simulation, imaginative and fantasy aspects of Moon-Mars-extreme Earth exploration. They contributed a journalist report, and even performed an EVA outreach filming a sortie to Hanksville village on Earth. Other film and journalists visited the EuroGeoMars crew for interviews and exchange. Specific crew reports were also prepared for

  16. Reflections on Three Corporate Research Labs: Bell Labs, HP Labs, Agilent Labs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hollenhorst, James

    2008-03-01

    This will be a personal reflection on corporate life and physics-based research in three industrial research labs over three decades, Bell Labs during the 1980's, HP Labs during the 1990's, and Agilent Labs during the 2000's. These were times of great change in all three companies. I'll point out some of the similarities and differences in corporate cultures and how this impacted the research and development activities. Along the way I'll mention some of the great products that resulted from physics-based R&D.

  17. Exploring Virtual Reality for Classroom Use: The Virtual Reality and Education Lab at East Carolina University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Auld, Lawrence W. S.; Pantelidis, Veronica S.

    1994-01-01

    Describes the Virtual Reality and Education Lab (VREL) established at East Carolina University to study the implications of virtual reality for elementary and secondary education. Highlights include virtual reality software evaluation; hardware evaluation; computer-based curriculum objectives which could use virtual reality; and keeping current…

  18. Enhancing learning in geosciences and water engineering via lab activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valyrakis, Manousos; Cheng, Ming

    2016-04-01

    This study focuses on the utilisation of lab based activities to enhance the learning experience of engineering students studying Water Engineering and Geosciences. In particular, the use of modern highly visual and tangible presentation techniques within an appropriate laboratory based space are used to introduce undergraduate students to advanced engineering concepts. A specific lab activity, namely "Flood-City", is presented as a case study to enhance the active engagement rate, improve the learning experience of the students and better achieve the intended learning objectives of the course within a broad context of the engineering and geosciences curriculum. Such activities, have been used over the last few years from the Water Engineering group @ Glasgow, with success for outreach purposes (e.g. Glasgow Science Festival and demos at the Glasgow Science Centre and Kelvingrove museum). The activity involves a specific setup of the demonstration flume in a sand-box configuration, with elements and activities designed so as to gamely the overall learning activity. Social media platforms can also be used effectively to the same goals, particularly in cases were the students already engage in these online media. To assess the effectiveness of this activity a purpose designed questionnaire is offered to the students. Specifically, the questionnaire covers several aspects that may affect student learning, performance and satisfaction, such as students' motivation, factors to effective learning (also assessed by follow-up quizzes), and methods of communication and assessment. The results, analysed to assess the effectiveness of the learning activity as the students perceive it, offer a promising potential for the use of such activities in outreach and learning.

  19. Marketing University Outreach Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, Ralph S., Jr., Ed.; And Others

    A collection of 12 essays and model program descriptions addresses issues in the marketing of university extension, outreach, and distance education programs. They include: (1) "Marketing and University Outreach: Parallel Processes" (William I. Sauser, Jr. and others); (2) "Segmenting and Targeting the Organizational Market"…

  20. Simulation, Analysis, and Design of the Princeton Adaptable Stellarator for Education and Outreach (PASEO)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carlson, Jared; Dominguez, Arturo; N/A Collaboration

    2017-10-01

    The PPPL Science Education Department, in collaboration with IPP, is currently developing a versatile small scale Stellarator for education and outreach purposes. The Princeton Adaptable Stellarator for Education and Outreach (PASEO) will provide visual demonstrations of Stellarator physics and serve as a lab platform for undergraduate and graduate students. Based off the Columbia Non-Neutral Torus (CNT) (1), and mini-CNTs (2), PASEO will create pure electron plasmas to study magnetic surfaces. PASEO uses similar geometries to these, but has an adjustable coil configuration to increase its versatility and conform to a highly visible vacuum chamber geometry. To simulate the magnetic surfaces in these new configurations, a MATALB code utilizing the Biot Savart law and a Fourth Order Runge-Kutta method was developed, leading to new optimal current ratios. The design for PASEO and its predicted plasma confinement are presented. (1) T.S. Pedersen et al., Fusion Science and Technology Vol. 46 July 2004 (2) C. Dugan, et al., American Physical Society; 48th Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics, October 30-November 3, 2006

  1. Using Near Real-Time Mission Data for Education and Public Outreach: Strategies from the Life in the Atacama E/PO Effort

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Myers, E.; Coppin, P.; Wagner, M.; Fischer, K.; Lu, L.; McCloskey, R.; Seneker, D.; Cabrol, N.; Wettergreen, D.; Waggoner, A.

    2005-01-01

    The EventScope educational telepresence project has been involved with education and public outreach for a number of NASA-sponsored missions including the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Odyssey Mission, and the Life in the Atacama project. However, during the second year of operations in the Atacama, a modified version of the EventScope public interface was used as the remote science operations interface. In addition, the EventScope lab hosted remote science operations. This intimate connection with the mission operations allowed the EventScope team to bring the experience of the mission to the public in near real-time. Playing to this strength, the lab developed strategies for releasing E/PO content as close to real-time as possible.

  2. "We Were the Choreographers; the Dance Teachers Were the Helpers": Student Perceptions of Learning in a Dance Outreach Program Interpreted through a Lens of 21st-Century Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cameron Frichtel, Monica J.

    2017-01-01

    This study emerged out of collaboration between an artist-educator and a dance researcher. It explores student experience participating in a school based dance outreach program at an urban elementary school. The program is supported by a local, contemporary dance company. The artist-educator approaches teaching and curriculum with values shared by…

  3. Evaluation of “The Space Place,” a NASA Integrated, Multi-mission Education and Public Outreach Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fisher, Diane K.; Leon, N. J.

    2006-12-01

    The Space Place is an integrated NASA education and public outreach program, so far representing over 40 different NASA missions. It combines Web-based, printed, and externally published media to reach underserved audiences across the nation. Its primary mission is to develop and provide a highly desirable suite of attractive and educational products designed to appeal to and immerse the general public in space exploration. Its primary target audience is elementary school age kids. The program has developed an extensive network of partnerships with museums and libraries in rural areas, English and Spanish language newspapers, astronomy societies, rocketry clubs, and national youth organizations. Materials are distributed monthly through all these channels. Originally a New Millennium Program (NMP) outreach effort only, it is open to all NASA missions. NMP (a NASA-level program managed out of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory) continues to provide the base of support to build and maintain the outreach program’s infrastructure. Obtaining independent evaluation and reporting of the effectiveness of the program is one of NASA’s requirements for education and public outreach efforts. The Program Evaluation and Research Group (PERG) at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, was retained to perform this service for The Space Place. PERG is also evaluating education and public outreach programs for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. PERG recently delivered a report evaluating The Space Place program. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, PERG surveyed representative samples of Space Place partner museums, astronomy clubs, and newspapers. The survey included questions about all the products the program provides. The report concludes that The Space Place fills a niche by serving small institutions, giving them a personal alliance with NASA that they would otherwise not have. By providing free, quality materials, The Space Place program provides these under

  4. Mineral Physics Research on Earth's Core and UTeach Outreach Activities at UT Austin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, J.; Wheat, A. J.

    2011-12-01

    Comprehension of the alloying effects of major candidate light elements on the phase diagram and elasticity of iron addresses pressing issues on the composition, thermal structures, and seismic features of the Earth's core. Integrating this mineral physics research with the educational objectives of the CAREER award was facilitated by collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin's premier teaching program, UTeach. The UTeach summer outreach program hosts three one-week summer camps every year exposing K-12th graders to university level academia, emphasizing math and science initiatives and research. Each week of the camp either focuses on math, chemistry, or geology. Many of the students were underrepresented minorities and some required simultaneous translation; this is an effect of the demographics of the region, and caused some language barrier challenges. The students' opportunity to see first-hand what it is like to be on a university campus, as well as being in a research environment, such as the mineral physics lab, helps them to visualize themselves in academia in the future. A collection of displayable materials with information about deep-Earth research were made available to participating students and teachers to disseminate accurate scientific knowledge and enthusiasm. These items included a diamond anvil cell and diagrams of the diamond crystal structure, the layers of the Earth, and the phases of carbon to show that one element can have very different physical properties purely based on differences in structure. The students learned how advanced X-ray and optical laser spectroscopies are used to study properties of planetary materials in the diamond anvil cell. Stress was greatly placed on the basic mathematical relationship between force, area, and pressure, the fundamental principle involved with diamond anvil cell research. Undergraduate researchers from the lab participated in the presentations and hands-on experiments, and answered any

  5. Think Scientifically: The Solar Dynamics Observatory's Elementary Science Literacy Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Norden, Wendy; Wawro; Martha

    2012-03-01

    The pressure to focus on math and reading at the elementary level has increased in recent years. As a result, science education has taken a back seat in elementary classrooms. The Think Scientifically book series provides a way for science to easily integrate with existing math and reading curriculum. This story-based science literature program integrates a classic storybook format with solid solar science, to make an educational product that meets state literacy standards. Each story is accompanied by hands-on labs and activities that teachers can easily conduct in their classrooms with minimal training and materials, as well as math and language arts extensions and assessment questions. These books are being distributed through teacher workshops and conferences.

  6. Cambridge Elementary students enjoy gift of computers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    Children at Cambridge Elementary School, Cocoa, Fla., eagerly unwrap computer equipment donated by Kennedy Space Center. Cambridge is one of 13 Brevard County schools receiving 81 excess contractor computers thanks to an innovative educational outreach project spearheaded by the Nasa k-12 Education Services Office at ksc. Behind the children is Jim Thurston, a school volunteer and retired employee of USBI, who shared in the project. The Astronaut Memorial Foundation, a strategic partner in the effort, and several schools in rural Florida and Georgia also received refurbished computers as part of the year-long project. Ksc employees put in about 3,300 volunteer hours to transform old, excess computers into upgraded, usable units. A total of $90,000 in upgraded computer equipment is being donated.

  7. Public Outreach in Astronomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fierro, J.

    2009-05-01

    In this paper I will address ways in which astronomy can be conveyed to the general public. I believe that the workings of the cosmos are an effective way to interest the public in science due to their multidisciplinary nature and appeal. This paper is based on the idea that outreach is part of informal education and therefore must be encouraged since it is the way adults learn throughout their lives. We must take advantage of year 2009 to address astronomy in Galileo's honor. I think that outreach should be carried out in the way we enjoy learning about subjects outside our field of expertise. It must be done with passion and for the joy of giving; the gift that outreach conveys is knowledge.

  8. Distance Learning Materials for Elementary Astronomy with Lab

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Castle, K. G.

    2004-05-01

    I have developed a distance learning astronomy course with an integral lab. The materials for this course are available from the site below. Test and quiz contents can be obtained upon request In this distance-learning format, students take quizzes online, tests in person and meet with the instructor for assistance. Student activities include homework, laboratory exercises and observing projects using household and community resources. This course (Astro 128) has been approved to fulfill general education requirements for University of California and the California State University system. Materials include instructions and reference materials for measuring parallax, analyzing radial velocity and light curves, finding ages of star clusters, tracking planets, recording sunrise or sunset time, simulating lunar phases, assessing lunar feature ages, classifying stellar spectra from tracings, and classifying galaxy morphology. Students analyze actual astronomical data from the literature in many cases. A comparatively large number of observational examples allows each student to work with a unique assignment. Course management includes a calendar where students schedule meetings with the instructor and WebCT test, quiz and grade maintenance. Course materials are supplied with links to data sets in PDF. This class was developed with technical assistance from the Instructional Technology Department at Diablo Valley College.

  9. Students' clinical experience on outreach placements.

    PubMed

    Smith, M; Lennon, M A; Robinson, P G

    2010-02-01

    Primary care outreach placements increasingly feature in UK undergraduate dental curricula. The profile of clinical work undertaken on placement may differ from traditional hospital-based programmes and between outreach settings. An appreciation of any differences could inform curriculum development. To compare the profiles of clinical work experienced on a traditional hospital-based programme and outreach placements in different settings. One dental hospital and eight existing primary care block placements in England. Subjects were four cohorts of senior dental students in one UK dental school. Departmental records provided data on students' clinical experience in different settings and their achievement of placement learning objectives. Descriptive statistics for groups were compared. (1) Counts of patients encountered and of clinical procedures completed in the following categories: simple plastic restorations, endodontics, cast restorations, dentures, extractions and children's dentistry. (2) Student perceptions of placement learning reported via Likert scales. Outreach students encountered twice as many patients and typically completed about three times as much clinical work as students in the hospital, e.g. 44 cf 16 simple plastic restorations, seven cf two endodontic procedures. There were variations in profiles by setting. For example, amalgam being more likely to be used on outreach especially in the General Dental Service; more children's dentistry in community services and more extractions in Dental Access Centres. Students reported learning outcomes generally being achieved (average 94%) although with some variation by setting. Dental outreach training greatly increases the quantity of students' clinical experience in everyday dentistry compared to a hospital-based programme. Placements also increase awareness of service delivery and develop clinical skills. There are appreciable variations between outreach settings possibly reflecting their purposes

  10. Think Scientifically: The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory's Elementary Science Literacy Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Norden, Wendy; Wawro, Martha

    2013-03-01

    The pressure to focus on math and reading at the elementary level has increased in recent years. As a result, science education has taken a back seat in elementary classrooms. The Think Scientifically book series provides a way for science to easily integrate with existing math and reading curriculum. This story-based science literature program integrates a classic storybook format with solid solar science, to make an educational product that meets state literacy standards. Each story is accompanied by hands-on labs and activities that teachers can easily conduct in their classrooms with minimal training and materials, as well as math and language arts extensions and assessment questions. These books are being distributed through teacher workshops and conferences.

  11. Fusion Science Education Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Danielson, C. A.; DIII-D Education Group

    1996-11-01

    This presentation will focus on education outreach activities at General Atomics that have been expanded to include the general population on science education with a focus on fusion energy. Outreach materials are distributed upon request both nationally and internationally. These materials include a notebook containing copies of DIII--D tour panels, fusion poster, new fusion energy video, new fusion energy brochure, and the electromagnetic spectrum curriculum. The 1996 Fusion Forum (held in the House Caucus Room) included a student/ teacher lunch with Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary and a private visit to the Forum exhibits. The continuing partnership with Kearny High School includes lectures, job shadowing, internship, equipment donations and an award-winning electric car-racing program. Development of distribution by CD of the existing interactive fusion energy kiosk and a virtual reality tour of the DIII--D facility are underway. The DIII--D fusion education WWW site includes e-mail addresses to ``Ask the Wizard,'' and/or receive GA's outreach materials. Steve Rodecker, a local science teacher, aided by DIII--D fusion staff, won his second Tapestry Award; he also was named the ``1995 National Science Teacher of the Year'' and will be present to share his experiences with the DIII--D educational outreach program.

  12. Developing an Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program for Caltech's Tectonics Observatory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kovalenko, L.; Jain, K.; Maloney, J.

    2012-12-01

    The Caltech Tectonics Observatory (TO) is an interdisciplinary center, focused on geological processes occurring at the boundaries of Earth's tectonic plates (http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu). Over the past four years, the TO has made a major effort to develop an Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program. Our goals are to (1) inspire students to learn Earth Sciences, particularly tectonic processes, (2) inform and educate the general public about science in the context of TO discoveries, and (3) provide opportunities for graduate students, postdocs, and faculty to do outreach in the local K-12 schools and community colleges. Our work toward these goals includes hosting local high school teachers and students each summer for six weeks of research experience (as part of Caltech's "Summer Research Connection"); organizing and hosting an NAGT conference aimed at Geoscience teachers at community colleges; participating in teacher training workshops (organized by the local school district); hosting tours for K-12 students from local schools as well as from China; and bringing hands-on activities into local elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. We also lead local school students and teachers on geology field trips through nearby canyons; develop education modules for undergraduate classes (as part of MARGINS program); write educational web articles on TO research (http://www.tectonics.caltech.edu/outreach/highlights/), and regularly give presentations to the general public. This year, we started providing content expertise for the development of video games to teach Earth Science, being created by GameDesk Institute. And we have just formed a scientist/educator partnership with a 6th grade teacher, to help in the school district's pilot program to incorporate new national science standards (NSTA's Next Generation Science Standards, current draft), as well as use Project-Based Learning. This presentation gives an overview of these activities.

  13. Amateur Astronomers As Public Outreach Partners

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bennett, M. A.

    2006-08-01

    Amateur astronomers involved in public outreach represent a huge, largely untapped source of energy and enthusiasm to help astronomers reach the general public. Even though many astronomy educators already work with amateur astronomers, the potential educational impact of amateur astronomers as public outreach ambassadors remains largely unrealized. Surveys and other work by the ASP in the US show that more than 20% of astronomy club members routinely participate in public engagement and educational events, such as public star parties, classroom visits, work with youth and community groups, etc. Amateur astronomers who participate in public outreach events are knowledgeable about astronomy and passionate about sharing their hobby with other people. They are very willing to work with astronomers and astronomy educators. They want useful materials, support, and training. In the USA, the ASP operates "The Night Sky Network," (funded by NASA). We have developed specialized materials and training, tested by and used by amateur astronomers. This project works with nearly 200 local astronomy clubs in 50 states to help them conduct more effective public outreach events. It has resulted in nearly 3,600 outreach events (reaching nearly 300,000 people) in just two years. In this presentation we examine key success factors, lessons learned, and suggest how astronomers outside the US can recruit and work with "outreach amateur astronomers" in their own countries.

  14. Satellite Power System (SPS) public outreach experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcneal, S. R.

    1980-01-01

    An outreach experiment was conducted to improve the results of the satellite power system (SPS) concept development and evaluation program. The objectives of the outreach were to: (1) determine the areas of major concern relative to the SPS concept and (2) gain experience with an outreach process for use in future public involvement. The response to the outreach effort was positive, suggesting that the effort extended by the SPS project division to encourage an information exchange with the public was well received. The responses were analyzed and from them some questions and answers about the satellite power system are presented.

  15. Learning by Viewing - Nobel Labs 360

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mather, John C.

    2013-01-01

    First of all, my thanks to the Nobel Lindau Foundation for their inspiration and leadership in sharing the excitement of scientific discovery with the public and with future scientists! I have had the pleasure of participating twice in the Lindau meetings, and recently worked with the Nobel Labs 360 project to show how we are building the world's greatest telescope yet, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). For the future, I see the greatest challenges for all the sciences in continued public outreach and inspiration. Outreach, so the public knows why we are doing what we are doing, and what difference it makes for them today and in the long-term future. Who knows what our destiny may be? It could be glorious, or not, depending on how we all behave. Inspiration, so that the most creative and inquisitive minds can pursue the scientific and engineering discoveries that are at the heart of so much of human prosperity, health, and progress. And, of course, national and local security depend on those discoveries too; scientists have been working with "the government" throughout recorded history. For the Lindau Nobel experiment, we have a truly abundant supply of knowledge and excitement, through the interactions of young scientists with the Nobelists, and through the lectures and the video recordings we can now share with the whole world across the Internet. But the challenge is always to draw attention! With 7 billion inhabitants on Earth, trying to earn a living and have some fun, there are plenty of competing opportunities and demands on us all. So what will draw attention to our efforts at Lindau? These days, word of mouth has become word of (computer) mouse, and ideas propagate as viruses ( or memes) across the Internet according to the interests of the participants. So our challenge is to find and match those interests, so that the efforts of our scientists, photographers, moviemakers, and writers are rewarded by our public. The world changes every day, so there

  16. Education and Outreach: Advice to Young Scientists

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lopes, R. M. C.

    2005-08-01

    Carl Sagan set an example to all scientists when he encouraged us to reach out to the public and share the excitement of discovery and exploration. The prejudice that ensued did not deter Sagan and, with the passing of years, more and more scientists have followed his example. Although at present scientists at all ranks are encouraged by their institutions to do outreach, the balancing of a successful scientific career with teaching and outreach is often not an easy one. Young scientists, in particular, may worry about how their outreach efforts are viewed in the community and how they will find the time and energy for these efforts. This talk will offer suggestions on how to balance an active science research program with outreach activities, the many different ways to engage in education and public outreach, and how the rewards are truly priceless.

  17. South Lake Elementary students enjoy gift of computers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1999-01-01

    Nancy Nichols, principal of South Lake Elementary School, Titusville, Fla., joins students in teacher Michelle Butler's sixth grade class who are unwrapping computer equipment donated by Kennedy Space Center. South Lake is one of 13 Brevard County schools receiving 81 excess contractor computers thanks to an innovative educational outreach project spearheaded by the Nasa k-12 Education Services Office at ksc. The Astronaut Memorial Foundation, a strategic partner in the effort, and several schools in rural Florida and Georgia also received refurbished computers as part of the year-long project. Ksc employees put in about 3,300 volunteer hours to transform old, excess computers into upgraded, usable units. A total of $90,000 in upgraded computer equipment is being donated.

  18. 75 FR 30364 - Information Collection; Outreach Opportunity Questionnaire

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-01

    ... Collection; Outreach Opportunity Questionnaire AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice; request for... approved information collection, Outreach Opportunity Questionnaire. DATES: Comments must be received in...: Outreach Opportunity Questionnaire. OMB Number: 0596-0207. Expiration Date of Approval: November 30, 2010...

  19. Education and Outreach in the Life Sciences: Qualitative Analysis Report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Burbank, Roberta L.; John, Lisa; Mahy, Heidi A.

    The DOE's National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) asked Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to consider the role of individual scientists in upholding safety and security. The views of scientists were identified as being a critical component of this policy process. Therefore, scientists, managers, and representatives of Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) at the national labs were invited to participate in a brief survey and a set of focus groups. In addition, three focus groups were conducted with scientists, managers, and IBC representatives to discuss some of the questions related to education, outreach, and codes of conduct in further detail and gathermore » additional input on biosecurity and dual-use awareness at the laboratories. The overall purpose of this process was to identify concerns related to these topics and to gather suggestions for creating an environment where both the scientific enterprise and national security are enhanced.« less

  20. Comparative Effectiveness of Fecal Immunochemical Test Outreach, Colonoscopy Outreach, and Usual Care for Boosting Colorectal Cancer Screening Among the Underserved

    PubMed Central

    Gupta, Samir; Halm, Ethan A.; Rockey, Don C.; Hammons, Marcia; Koch, Mark; Carter, Elizabeth; Valdez, Luisa; Tong, Liyue; Ahn, Chul; Kashner, Michael; Argenbright, Keith; Tiro, Jasmin; Geng, Zhuo; Pruitt, Sandi; Skinner, Celette Sugg

    2017-01-01

    IMPORTANCE Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening saves lives, but participation rates are low among underserved populations. Knowledge on effective approaches for screening the underserved, including best test type to offer, is limited. OBJECTIVE To determine (1) if organized mailed outreach boosts CRC screening compared with usual care and (2) if FIT is superior to colonoscopy outreach for CRC screening participation in an underserved population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We identified uninsured patients, not up to date with CRC screening, age 54 to 64 years, served by the John Peter Smith Health Network, Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Texas, a safety net health system. INTERVENTIONS Patients were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 groups. One group was assigned to fecal immunochemical test (FIT) outreach, consisting of mailed invitation to use and return an enclosed no-cost FIT (n = 1593). A second was assigned to colonoscopy outreach, consisting of mailed invitation to schedule a no-cost colonoscopy (n = 479). The third group was assigned to usual care, consisting of opportunistic primary care visit-based screening (n = 3898). In addition, FIT and colonoscopy outreach groups received telephone follow-up to promote test completion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Screening participation in any CRC test within 1 year after randomization. RESULTS Mean patient age was 59 years; 64% of patients were women. The sample was 41% white, 24% black, 29% Hispanic, and 7% other race/ethnicity. Screening participation was significantly higher for both FIT (40.7%) and colonoscopy outreach (24.6%) than for usual care (12.1%) (P < .001 for both comparisons with usual care). Screening was significantly higher for FIT than for colonoscopy outreach (P < .001). In stratified analyses, screening was higher for FIT and colonoscopy outreach than for usual care, and higher for FIT than for colonoscopy outreach among whites, blacks, and Hispanics (P < .005 for all comparisons). Rates of CRC

  1. Effect of Outreach Messages on Medicaid Enrollment

    PubMed Central

    Stillson, Christian; Rosin, Roy; Cahill, Rachel; Kruger, Evelyne; Grande, David

    2017-01-01

    Objectives. To measure the impact of different outreach messages on health insurance enrollment among Medicaid-eligible adults. Methods. Between March 2015 and April 2016, we conducted a series of experiments using mail-based outreach that encouraged individuals to enroll in Pennsylvania’s expanded Medicaid program. Recipients were randomized to receive 1 of 4 different messages describing the benefits of health insurance. The primary outcome was the response rate to each letter. Results. We mailed outreach letters to 32 993 adults in Philadelphia. Messages that emphasized the dental benefits of insurance were significantly more likely to result in a response than messages emphasizing the health benefits (odds ratio = 1.33; 95% confidence interval = 1.10, 1.61). Conclusions. Medicaid enrollment outreach messages that emphasized the dental benefits of insurance were more effective than those that emphasized the health-related benefits. Public Health Implications. Although the structure and eligibility of the Medicaid program are likely to change, testing and identifying successful outreach and enrollment strategies remains important. Outreach messages that emphasize dental benefits may be more effective at motivating enrollment among individuals of low socioeconomic status. PMID:28661816

  2. Graduating STEM Competent and Confident Teachers: The Creation of a STEM Certificate for Elementary Education Majors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Murphy, Tony P.; Mancini-Samuelson, Gina J.

    2012-01-01

    A collaborative of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and education faculty developed a STEM certificate aimed at elementary education majors. A four-phase process model was used to create and evaluate courses. The certificate is comprised of three interdisciplinary, team-taught, lab-based courses: Environmental Biology,…

  3. Games, Simulations and Virtual Labs for Science Education: a Compendium and Some Examples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Russell, R. M.

    2012-12-01

    We have assembled a list of computer-based simulations, games, and virtual labs for science education. This list, with links to the sources of these resources, is available online. The entries span a broad range of science, math, and engineering topics. They also span a range of target student ages, from elementary school to university students. We will provide a brief overview of this web site and the resources found on it. We will also briefly demonstrate some of our own educational simulations and games. Computer-based simulations and virtual labs are valuable resources for science educators in various settings, allowing learners to experiment and explore "what if" scenarios. Educational computer games can motivate learners in both formal and informal settings, encouraging them to spend much more time exploring a topic than they might otherwise be inclined to do. Part of this presentation is effectively a "literature review" of numerous sources of simulations, games, and virtual labs. Although we have encountered several nice collections of such resources, those collections seem to be restricted in scope. They either represent materials developed by a specific group or agency (e.g. NOAA's games web site) or are restricted to a specific discipline (e.g. geology simulations and virtual labs). This presentation directs viewers to games, simulations, and virtual labs from many different sources and spanning a broad range of STEM disciplines.

  4. Funding models for outreach ophthalmology services.

    PubMed

    Turner, Angus W; Mulholland, Will; Taylor, Hugh R

    2011-01-01

    This paper aims to describe funding models used and compare the effects of funding models for remuneration on clinical activity and cost-effectiveness in outreach eye services in Australia. Cross-sectional case study based in remote outreach ophthalmology services in Australia. Key stake-holders from eye services in nine outreach regions participated in the study. Semistructured interviews were conducted to perform a qualitative assessment of outreach eye services' funding mechanisms. Records of clinical activity were used to statistically compare funding models. Workforce availability (supply of ophthalmologists), costs of services, clinical activity (surgery and clinic consultation rates) and waiting times. The supply of ophthalmologists (full-time equivalence) to all remote regions was below the national average (up to 19 times lower). Cataract surgery rates were also below national averages (up to 10 times lower). Fee-for-service funding significantly increased clinical activity. There were also trends to shorter waiting times and lower costs per attendance. For outreach ophthalmology services, the funding model used for clinician reimbursement may influence the efficiency and costs of the services. Fee-for-service funding models, safety-net funding options or differential funding/incentives need further exploration to ensure isolated disadvantaged areas prone to poor patient attendance are not neglected. In order for outreach eye health services to be sustainable, remuneration rates need to be comparable to those for urban practice. © 2011 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology © 2011 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

  5. Evaluation of Education and Outreach Programs

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-12-01

    Education and outreach are acknowledged, if only anecdotally, for contributing to an overall safer rail environment. The use of education and outreach programs as a means to improve highway-rail safety has expanded over the years since 1970 and the i...

  6. Maximizing Undergraduate Success By Combining Research Experiences with Outreach, Peer Mentoring and Professional Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bruno, B. C.

    2014-12-01

    The C-MORE Scholars Program provides hands-on, closely mentored research experiences to University of Hawaii (UH) undergraduates during the academic year. Students majoring in the geosciences, especially underrepresented students, from all campuses are encouraged to apply. The academic-year research is complemented by outreach, professional development and summer internships. Combined, these experiences help students develop the skills, confidence and passion that are essential to success in a geoscience career. Research. All students enter the program as trainees, where they learn lab and field research methods, computer skills and science principles. After one year, they are encouraged to reapply as interns, where they work on their own research project. Students who have successfully completed their intern year can reapply as fellows, where they conduct an independent research project such as an honors thesis. Students present their research at a Symposium through posters (trainees) or talks (interns and fellows). Interns and fellows help organize program activities and serve as peer mentors to trainees.Multi-tiered programs that build a pathway toward graduation have been shown to increase student retention and graduation success. Outreach. Undergraduate researchers rarely feel like experts when working with graduate students and faculty. For students to develop their identity as scientists, it is essential that they be given the opportunity to assume the role as expert. Engaging students in outreach is a win-win situation. Students gain valuable skills and confidence in sharing their research with their local community, and the public gets to learn about exciting research happening at UH. Professional Development. Each month, the Scholars meet to develop their professional skills on a particular topic, such as outreach, scientific presentations, interviewing, networking, and preparing application materials for jobs, scholarships and summer REUs. Students are

  7. 24 CFR 125.301 - Education and Outreach Initiative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Education and Outreach Initiative... FAIR HOUSING FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM § 125.301 Education and Outreach Initiative. (a) The Education and Outreach Initiative provides funding for the purpose of developing, implementing, carrying out...

  8. 24 CFR 125.301 - Education and Outreach Initiative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Education and Outreach Initiative... FAIR HOUSING FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM § 125.301 Education and Outreach Initiative. (a) The Education and Outreach Initiative provides funding for the purpose of developing, implementing, carrying out...

  9. 24 CFR 125.301 - Education and Outreach Initiative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Education and Outreach Initiative... FAIR HOUSING FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM § 125.301 Education and Outreach Initiative. (a) The Education and Outreach Initiative provides funding for the purpose of developing, implementing, carrying out...

  10. 24 CFR 125.301 - Education and Outreach Initiative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Education and Outreach Initiative... FAIR HOUSING FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM § 125.301 Education and Outreach Initiative. (a) The Education and Outreach Initiative provides funding for the purpose of developing, implementing, carrying out...

  11. 24 CFR 125.301 - Education and Outreach Initiative.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Education and Outreach Initiative... FAIR HOUSING FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM § 125.301 Education and Outreach Initiative. (a) The Education and Outreach Initiative provides funding for the purpose of developing, implementing, carrying out...

  12. Adapt for Outreach: Taking Technology on the Road

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hyatt, Jason; Craig, Angela

    2009-01-01

    Outreach occurs systemwide at Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC). All branches are involved in reaching their surrounding neighborhoods and patrons. Under the guidance of the outreach manager, the outreach department provides support for these efforts and also offers focused programming via 12 staff members. The department is…

  13. The NASA Astrobiology Institute: A Decade of Education and Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scalice, Daniella

    The mission statement of the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) charts a course to establishing astrobiology as a new and influential field of scientific inquiry. It integrates world class, interdisciplinary research with training for the next generation of astrobiologists. It enables collaboration between distributed research teams by prioritizing the use of modern information technologies, and empowers astrobiologists to provide leadership for space missions. But this unique vision would not have been complete without the inclusion of an Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program. Over the past ten years, NAI's E/PO program has taken shape - from bootstrapping in the early days, to partnering with the likes of Disney and PBS - in pursuit of inspiring young people onto the scientific path. The E/PO program's highly collaborative group of education specialists has worked with museums, national parks, filmmakers, radio broadcasters, families, teachers, and students to ensure that the bright young faces of today find themselves in the labs of tomorrow's astrobiologists.

  14. Pathway to STEM: Using Outreach Initiatives as a Method of Identifying, Educating and Recruiting the Next Generation of Scientists and Engineers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ortiz-Arias, Deedee; Zwicker, Andrew; Dominguez, Arturo; Greco, Shannon

    2017-10-01

    The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) uses a host of outreach initiatives to inform the general population: the Young Women's Conference, Science Bowl, Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship, My Brother's Keeper, a variety of workshops for university faculty and undergraduate students, public and scheduled lab tours, school and community interactive plasma science demonstrations. In addition to informing and educating the public about the laboratory's important work in the areas of Plasma and Fusion, these outreach initiatives, are also used as an opportunity to identify/educate/recruit the next generation of the STEM workforce. These programs provide the laboratory with the ability to: engage the next generation at different paths along their development (K-12, undergraduate, graduate, professional), at different levels of scientific content (science demonstrations, remote experiments, lectures, tours), in some instances, targeting underrepresented groups in STEM (women and minorities), and train additional STEM educators to take learned content into their own classrooms.

  15. Bringing Terra Science to the People: 10 years of education and public outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riebeek, H.; Chambers, L. H.; Yuen, K.; Herring, D.

    2009-12-01

    The default image on Apple's iPhone is a blue, white, green and tan globe: the Blue Marble. The iconic image was produced using Terra data as part of the mission's education and public outreach efforts. As far-reaching and innovative as Terra science has been over the past decade, Terra education and public outreach efforts have been equally successful. This talk will provide an overview of Terra's crosscutting education and public outreach projects, which have reached into educational facilities—classrooms, museums, and science centers, across the Internet, and into everyday life. The Earth Observatory web site was the first web site designed for the public that told the unified story of what we can learn about our planet from all space-based platforms. Initially conceived as part of Terra mission outreach in 1999, the web site has won five Webby awards, the highest recognition a web site can receive. The Visible Earth image gallery is a catalogue of NASA Earth imagery that receives more than one million page views per month. The NEO (NASA Earth Observations) web site and WMS (web mapping service) tool serves global data sets to museums and science centers across the world. Terra educational products, including the My NASA Data web service and the Students' Cloud Observations Online (S'COOL) project, bring Terra data into the classroom. Both projects target multiple grade levels, ranging from elementary school to graduate school. S'COOL uses student observations of clouds to help validate Terra data. Students and their parents have puzzled over weekly "Where on Earth" geography quizzes published on line. Perhaps the most difficult group to reach is the large segment of the public that does not seek out science information online or in a science museum or classroom. To reach these people, EarthSky produced a series of podcasts and radio broadcasts that brought Terra science to more than 30 million people in 2009. Terra imagery, including the Blue Marble, have

  16. Think Scientifically: The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory's Elementary Science Literacy Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Norden, Wendy M.

    2013-07-01

    The pressure to focus on math and reading at the elementary level has increased in recent years. As a result, science education has taken a back seat in elementary classrooms. The Think Scientifically book series provides a way for science to easily integrate with existing math and reading curriculum. This story-based science literature program integrates a classic storybook format with solar science concepts, to make an educational product that meets state literacy standards. Each story is accompanied by hands-on labs and activities that teachers can easily conduct in their classrooms with minimal training and materials, as well as math and language arts extensions. These books are being distributed through teacher workshops and conferences, and are available free at http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/epo/educators/thinkscientifically.php.

  17. Love the Lab, Hate the Lab Report?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bjorn, Genevive

    2018-01-01

    In the author's large, urban high school, enrollment in a laboratory science is mandatory. While the student participation rate for lab activities is over 98%, the turn-in rate for traditional lab reports averages just 35% to 85%. Those students who don't produce a lab report miss a critical opportunity to improve their skills in scientific…

  18. How Academic Biologists and Physicists View Science Outreach

    PubMed Central

    Ecklund, Elaine Howard; James, Sarah A.; Lincoln, Anne E.

    2012-01-01

    Scholars and pundits alike argue that U.S. scientists could do more to reach out to the general public. Yet, to date, there have been few systematic studies that examine how scientists understand the barriers that impede such outreach. Through analysis of 97 semi-structured interviews with academic biologists and physicists at top research universities in the United States, we classify the type and target audiences of scientists’ outreach activities. Finally, we explore the narratives academic scientists have about outreach and its reception in the academy, in particular what they perceive as impediments to these activities. We find that scientists’ outreach activities are stratified by gender and that university and disciplinary rewards as well as scientists’ perceptions of their own skills have an impact on science outreach. Research contributions and recommendations for university policy follow. PMID:22590526

  19. Simulations, Games, and Virtual Labs for Science Education: a Compendium and Some Examples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Russell, R. M.

    2011-12-01

    We have assembled a list of computer-based simulations, games, and virtual labs for science education. This list, with links to the sources of these resources, is available online. The entries span a broad range of science, math, and engineering topics. They also span a range of target student ages, from elementary school to university students. We will provide a brief overview of this web site and the resources found on it. We will also briefly demonstrate some of our own educational simulations, including the "Very, Very Simple Climate Model", and report on formative evaluations of these resources. Computer-based simulations and virtual labs are valuable resources for science educators in various settings, allowing learners to experiment and explore "what if" scenarios. Educational computer games can motivate learners in both formal and informal settings, encouraging them to spend much more time exploring a topic than they might otherwise be inclined to do. Part of this presentation is effectively a "literature review" of numerous sources of simulations, games, and virtual labs. Although we have encountered several nice collections of such resources, those collections seem to be restricted in scope. They either represent materials developed by a specific group or agency (e.g. NOAA's games web site) or are restricted to a specific discipline (e.g. geology simulations and virtual labs). This presentation directs viewers to games, simulations, and virtual labs from many different sources and spanning a broad range of STEM disciplines.

  20. Outreach Materials for the Collision Repair Campaign

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Collision Repair Campaign offers outreach materials to help collision repair shops reduce toxic air exposure. Materials include a DVD, poster, training video, and materials in Spanish (materiales del outreach en español).

  1. Early outreach: career awareness for health professions.

    PubMed

    Lourenço, S V

    1983-01-01

    "Early outreach" may be defined as a long-term, talent-development strategy designed to prepare a well qualified pool of disadvantaged and underrepresented minority applicants for entry into health professions schools, particularly medical schools. The concept of early outreach is to prepare, motivate, and educate talented, economically disadvantaged junior high or secondary school students to gain the necessary academic qualifications to make high school graduation, college attendance, and health careers a reality. In this paper the author defines the problem to which early outreach is addressed and discussed the contextual and historical background of the concept. A number of programs at the Health Sciences Center at the University of Illinois at Chicago designed and implemented to provide a model to achieve the concept of early outreach are described.

  2. Involving Scientists in Outreach: Incentives, Barriers, and Recommendations from Research Findings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Melton, G.; Laursen, S.; Andrews, E.; Weaver, A.; Hanley, D.; Shamatha, J. H.

    2004-12-01

    Public agencies that fund scientific research are increasingly requiring that researchers invest some of their funding in education or outreach activities that have a "broader impact." Yet barriers exist that inhibit scientists' motivation to participate in K-12 outreach. We will share findings from a quantitative and qualitative study that examined the motivations, rewards, and obstacles for scientists who participate in outreach. We found that most researchers became interested in doing outreach out of a desire to contribute and an expectation of having fun and enjoying the experience. They typically gave outreach presentations away from work, acted as a resource for school teachers, or helped with teacher professional development. However, scientists viewed outreach as a form of volunteer work that was auxiliary to their other responsibilities. Thus, time constraints, a lack of information about outreach opportunities, and the lower value placed on outreach by departments constituted significant barriers to their participation. Scientists involved in outreach typically found their efforts to be rewarding, but occasionally factors left a negative impression, such as poor audience response, classroom management difficulties, organizational problems, or demonstrations not going as planned. Based upon our findings, we offer recommendations on how scientists' participation and experiences in K-12 outreach can be improved, including how to successfully recruit scientists, create a positive outreach experience, and increase institutional support for outreach work.

  3. Environmental Outreach

    Science.gov Websites

    System Environmental Outreach Feature Stories Individual Permit for Storm Water Public Reading Room calendar to provide input on the subject matter. Visit the Public Reading Rooms and study our environmental Mitigating Wildland Fires Public Reading Room: Environmental Documents, Reports Los Alamos National

  4. Collaborative outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sanmarti-Vila, Lydia; García-Matos, Marta; Beduini, Federica; Carrasco, Silvia

    2016-09-01

    Many research projects and scientific initiatives multiple their impact and relevance through collaborations. It is the contact and exchange with others that often brings a scientist's work to the next level. The same happens with outreach: sharing activities, concepts, materials and knowhow may lead to greater impact, more innovative, inspirational ideas with enough potential to create pioneering outreach activities. A good example for this is the FP7 European project "GoPhoton!", an initiative of ECOP (European Centres of Outreach in Photonics) that ran through 2014 and 2015 and finished at the beginning of 2016 and was directed at the general public, young minds as well as current and future entrepreneurs. This project was based on the idea of sharing activities - which is at the core of ECOP's identity- already existing in other nodes (institutions within the project), or created within GoPhoton! The main concept was the effective leverage of local links such as the networks of educators and professionals in general, industrial clusters, museums, universities, governmental and non-governmental organizations, all from a Pan-European perspective possible through ECOP. This has resulted in over 200 events impacting over two million people. The sharing of activities across institutions that have different resources, facilities, and cultural environments is not straightforward. One of the biggest challenges for the consortium was to be able to extract the concept and identity of each activity, so that it could be realistically adapted to each local context. A crucial point was being able to effectively use the knowhow gained from a partner's activity, in a way that the essence of the activity remained untainted across the participating nodes, while still triggering innovation locally.

  5. @OceanSeaIceNPI: Positive Practice of Science Outreach via Social Media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meyer, A.; Pavlov, A.; Rösel, A.; Granskog, M. A.; Gerland, S.; Hudson, S. R.; King, J.; Itkin, P.; Negrel, J.; Cohen, L.; Dodd, P. A.; de Steur, L.

    2016-12-01

    As researchers, we are keen to share our passion for science with the general public. We are encouraged to do so by colleagues, journalists, policy-makers and funding agencies. How can we best achieve this in a small research group without having specific resources and skills such as funding, dedicated staff, and training? How do we sustain communication on a regular basis as opposed to the limited lifetime of a specific project? The emerging platforms of social media have become powerful and inexpensive tools to communicate science for various audiences. Many research institutions and individual researchers are already advanced users of social media, but small research groups and labs remain underrepresented. A small group of oceanographers, sea ice, and atmospheric scientists at the Norwegian Polar Institute have been running their social media science outreach for two years @OceanSeaIceNPI. Here we share our successful experience of developing and maintaining a researcher-driven outreach through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. We present our framework for sharing responsibilities within the group to maximize effectiveness. Each media channel has a target audience for which the posts are tailored. Collaboration with other online organizations and institutes is key for the growth of the channels. The @OceanSeaIceNPI posts reach more than 4000 followers on a weekly basis. If you have questions about our @OceanSeaIceNPI initiative, you can tweet them with a #ask_oceanseaicenpi hashtag anytime.

  6. Consultant paediatric outreach clinics--a practical step in integration.

    PubMed

    Spencer, N J

    1993-04-01

    Ten years' experience of paediatric outreach clinics is reviewed and evaluated. The advantages and disadvantages of paediatric outreach and its possible place in the new era of contracting and more developed community paediatric services are discussed. It is concluded that paediatric outreach increases parental and professional choice and access to paediatric consultant services, increases service flexibility, reduces unnecessary hospital visits, and enables more rational and relevant clinical decision making. Outreach is particularly relevant in areas of deprivation where paediatric needs are greatest.

  7. An Automated Telescope for Education and Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burks, G. S.; Guzik, T. G.; Tohline, J. E.; Landolt, A.

    1997-12-01

    In this time of limited resources, the problem of providing an up to date facility for education and outreach needs to be addressed. One solution to this problem is a joint venture between Louisiana State University, BREC (the Park and creation Commission of East Baton Rouge Parish), and BRAS (the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society). The result of this collaboration is a facility with outreach and educational space, a 20 inch Ritchey-Chretien telescope with CCD camera, and volunteers from the amateur community for help with the outreach mission. We present an overview of the project, and show how the telescope will be completely automated to allow use of the telescope by LSU students and our outreach partners on the Internet. We explore the possibility for use of this facility by a world wide audience over the web.

  8. PARK-IT! Elementary School Land Laboratories in Toledo City Parks. Curriculum Activity Guide, Grades 2-3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DuFour, Marilyn Berry; Courter, Linda Kothera; Garvin, Dennis M.

    The project PARK-IT! represents a unique partnership between a public elementary school and a city park in which students and teachers utilize a small naturalized area of the park as a Land Laboratory, and in return become its stewards. The project also includes this curriculum activity guide which can assist teachers in using the Land Lab with…

  9. PARK-IT! Elementary School Land Laboratories in Toledo City Parks. Curriculum Activity Guide, Grades K-1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DuFour, Marilyn Berry; Courter, Linda Kothera; Garvin, Dennis M.

    The project PARK-IT! represents a unique partnership between a public elementary school and a city park in which students and teachers utilize a small naturalized area of the park as a Land Laboratory, and in return become its stewards. The project also includes this curriculum activity guide which can assist teachers in using the Land Lab with…

  10. PARK-IT! Elementary School Land Laboratories in Toledo City Parks. Curriculum Activity Guide, Grades 4-6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DuFour, Marilyn Berry; Courter, Linda Kothera; Garvin, Dennis M.

    The project PARK-IT! represents a unique partnership between a public elementary school and a city park in which students and teachers utilize a small naturalized area of the park as a Land Laboratory, and in return become its stewards. The project also includes this curriculum activity guide which can assist teachers in using the Land Lab with…

  11. 25 CFR 166.904 - What is agriculture education outreach?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false What is agriculture education outreach? 166.904 Section... Agriculture Education, Education Assistance, Recruitment, and Training § 166.904 What is agriculture education outreach? (a) We will establish and maintain an agriculture education outreach program for Indian and...

  12. 25 CFR 166.904 - What is agriculture education outreach?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What is agriculture education outreach? 166.904 Section... Agriculture Education, Education Assistance, Recruitment, and Training § 166.904 What is agriculture education outreach? (a) We will establish and maintain an agriculture education outreach program for Indian and...

  13. 25 CFR 166.904 - What is agriculture education outreach?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is agriculture education outreach? 166.904 Section... Agriculture Education, Education Assistance, Recruitment, and Training § 166.904 What is agriculture education outreach? (a) We will establish and maintain an agriculture education outreach program for Indian and...

  14. 25 CFR 166.904 - What is agriculture education outreach?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What is agriculture education outreach? 166.904 Section... Agriculture Education, Education Assistance, Recruitment, and Training § 166.904 What is agriculture education outreach? (a) We will establish and maintain an agriculture education outreach program for Indian and...

  15. 25 CFR 166.904 - What is agriculture education outreach?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true What is agriculture education outreach? 166.904 Section... Agriculture Education, Education Assistance, Recruitment, and Training § 166.904 What is agriculture education outreach? (a) We will establish and maintain an agriculture education outreach program for Indian and...

  16. Evaluation Framework for NASA's Educational Outreach Programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berg, Rick; Booker, Angela; Linde, Charlotte; Preston, Connie

    1999-01-01

    The objective of the proposed work is to develop an evaluation framework for NASA's educational outreach efforts. We focus on public (rather than technical or scientific) dissemination efforts, specifically on Internet-based outreach sites for children.The outcome of this work is to propose both methods and criteria for evaluation, which would enable NASA to do a more analytic evaluation of its outreach efforts. The proposed framework is based on IRL's ethnographic and video-based observational methods, which allow us to analyze how these sites are actually used.

  17. Concepts and Planning for MSR Public Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heward, A. R.

    2018-04-01

    The Mars Sample Return (MSR) community now has an opportunity to build support through outreach to policy makers, the media, the public, teachers, and students. This presentation aims to start a dialogue on concepts and planning for MSR outreach.

  18. Nucleosynthesis outreach slides

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lippuner, Jonas

    2017-11-03

    The purpose of this report is to explain s- and r-process nucleosynthesis to the general public at outreach events, specifically in a Planetarium show at the Pajarito Environmental Education Center in Los Alamos.

  19. Paired Peer Learning through Engineering Education Outreach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fogg-Rogers, Laura; Lewis, Fay; Edmonds, Juliet

    2017-01-01

    Undergraduate education incorporating active learning and vicarious experience through education outreach presents a critical opportunity to influence future engineering teaching and practice capabilities. Engineering education outreach activities have been shown to have multiple benefits; increasing interest and engagement with science and…

  20. Watershed Outreach Professionals' Behavior Change Practices, Challenges, and Needs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Meghan; Little, Samuel; Phelps, Kaitlin; Roble, Carrie; Zint, Michaela

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated the practices, challenges, and needs of Chesapeake Bay watershed outreach professionals, as related to behavior change strategies and best outreach practices. Data were collected through a questionnaire e-mailed to applicants to the Chesapeake Bay Trust's environmental outreach grant program (n = 108, r = 56%). Almost all…

  1. Running an Elementary School Astronomy Club: Engaging Children in the Wonders of Space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mayo, L.; Odenwald, S.; Lundberg, C.; Dimarco, A.

    2000-10-01

    ``At the elementary school level, children are motivated by two things, dinosaurs and space" (Dr. Harold Williams, Montgomery College Planetarium Director). Yet, many elementary school science objectives include only the most basic astronomical concepts. Some ignore the subject all together in favor of more traditional courses (e.g. math and reading) or Earth science based curricula such as weather and local ecosystems. In addition, most elementary school teachers are unfamiliar with astronomical concepts and are poorly equipped to teach the subject. With teacher requirements increasing due to increasing class sizes, state competency exams, and a back to basics political climate, there is often little room to capitalize on the natural sense of curiosity children have about the universe during the normal school day. An after school astronomy club can provide a solution. In this paper, we present a model for setting up and running an after school astronomy club for students in grades 3-6. Our model was developed at two Maryland schools, Sligo Creek Elementary and Holy Redeemer Elementary/Middle School and incorporates national education standards as well as NASA OSS guidelines for effective education outreach programs. We propose here, a Community Based Learning (CBL) approach with the goal of engaging multiple elements of the community in the learning process including local amateur astronomy clubs, industry, community colleges, parents, and teachers. Methods for using astronomy as a basis for teaching reading, writing, math, and presentation skills are introduced. Resources, teaching methods, preparation guidelines, discipline, and safety are discussed and a list of grade appropriate, hands-on astronomy activities is presented along with procedures and expected outcomes.

  2. Consultant paediatric outreach clinics--a practical step in integration.

    PubMed Central

    Spencer, N J

    1993-01-01

    Ten years' experience of paediatric outreach clinics is reviewed and evaluated. The advantages and disadvantages of paediatric outreach and its possible place in the new era of contracting and more developed community paediatric services are discussed. It is concluded that paediatric outreach increases parental and professional choice and access to paediatric consultant services, increases service flexibility, reduces unnecessary hospital visits, and enables more rational and relevant clinical decision making. Outreach is particularly relevant in areas of deprivation where paediatric needs are greatest. PMID:8503675

  3. Centennial of Flight Educational Outreach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McCarthy, Marianne (Technical Monitor); Miller, Susan (Technical Monitor); Vanderpool, Celia

    2003-01-01

    The Centennial of Flight Education Outreach project worked with community partners to disseminate NASA Education materials and the Centennial of Flight CD-ROM as a vehicle to increase national awareness of NASA's Aerospace Education products, services and programs. The Azimuth Education Foundation and the Ninety Nines, an International Women Pilots Association, Inc. were chartered to conduct education outreach to the formal and informal educational community. The Dryden Education Office supported the development of a training and information distribution program that established a national group of prepared Centennial of Flight Ambassadors, with a mission of community education outreach. These Ambassadors are members of the Ninety Nines and through the Azimuth Foundation, they assisted the AECC on the national level to promote and disseminate Centennial of Flight and other educational products. Our objectives were to explore partnership outreach growth opportunities with consortium efforts between organizations. This project directly responded to the highlights of NASA s Implementation Plan for Education. It was structured to network, involve the community, and provide a solid link to active educators and current students with NASA education information. Licensed female pilots who live and work in local communities across the nation carried the link. This partnership has been extremely gratifying to all of those Ninety-Nines involved, and they eagerly look forward to further work opportunities.

  4. IYA Outreach Plans for Appalachian State University's Observatories

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caton, Daniel B.; Pollock, J. T.; Saken, J. M.

    2009-01-01

    Appalachian State University will provide a variety of observing opportunities for the public during the International Year of Astronomy. These will be focused at both the campus GoTo Telescope Facility used by Introductory Astronomy students and the research facilities at our Dark Sky Observatory. The campus facility is composed of a rooftop deck with a roll-off roof housing fifteen Celestron C11 telescopes. During astronomy lab class meetings these telescopes are used either in situ or remotely by computer control from the adjacent classroom. For the IYA we will host the public for regular observing sessions at these telescopes. The research facility features a 32-inch DFM Engineering telescope with its dome attached to the Cline Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is still under construction and we anticipate its completion for a spring opening during IYA. The CVC will provide areas for educational outreach displays and a view of the telescope control room. Visitors will view celestial objects directly at the eyepiece. We are grateful for the support of the National Science Foundation, through grant number DUE-0536287, which provided instrumentation for the GoTO facility, and to J. Donald Cline for support of the Visitor Center.

  5. Art, outreach and geopattern formation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morris, S. W.; Chen, A. S. H.; Rogers, M. C.; Goehring, L.

    2014-12-01

    For the past several years, I have been exhibiting images and videos of natural and laboratory geopatterns in art galleries and outdoor shows. I have also brought artists into my research lab for hands-on workshops. My experience shows that scientific images can be well received as art and generate wide-ranging discussions across traditionally separate disciplines. The art world offers an interesting new venue for outreach activities, as well as being a lot of fun to explore. Artists Statement:I am interested in self-organized, emergent patterns and textures. I take photos of patterns both from the natural world and of experiments in my laboratory in the department of Physics at the University of Toronto. Patterns naturally attract casual attention but are also the subject of serious scientific research. Some things just evolve all by themselves into strikingly regular shapes and textures. Why? These shapes emerge spontaneously from a dynamic process of growing, folding, cracking, wrinkling, branching, flowing and other kinds of morphological development. My photos are informed by the scientific aesthetic of nonlinear physics, and mathematics lurks behind every image for those who know where to look for it. But no special knowledge is required to appreciate the results. Each image shows an object, sometimes quite small and often familiar, with a self-composed regular structure. Some images are from laboratory physics experiments and some are from Nature, and all celebrate the subtle interplay of order and complexity in emergent patterns.

  6. Enabling factors for specialist outreach in western KwaZulu-Natal

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Background There exists a major disparity in access to specialist care between patients in urban and rural areas. Specialists are a scarce resource and are concentrated in urban areas. Specialist outreach attempts to fill the gap in service provision for patients situated remotely. While there is international evidence that multifaceted specialist outreach has achieved varying levels of success, factors that influence the effectiveness of outreach have not yet been fully elucidated in South Africa. Aim This study attempts to uncover some of the factors that enable good multifaceted specialist outreach. Setting The study was conducted in hospitals in western KwaZulu-Natal province. This health area is served by a tertiary hospital and 20 peripheral hospitals; three of these are regional level and the majority are district level hospitals. Specialist outreach emanates from the tertiary hospital. Methods Specialists providing outreach services from the tertiary hospital and medical officers at seven receiving hospitals were interviewed to explore perceptions regarding factors that might enable successful specialist outreach. Framework analysis on the transcribed interviews was carried out using NVivo version 11. Results A major positive finding concerns the relationships formed between outreach specialists and doctors at the recipient hospitals. The management of the programme with respect to structure, dependability, data management, transport provision, communication technology and public health systems was also seen as beneficial in specialist outreach. Conclusion Specialist outreach plays an essential role in providing equality in health care. To enable effectiveness, it is important to make full use of the multifaceted nature of this intervention. PMID:29781691

  7. Seismology Outreach in Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gardine, L.; Tape, C.; West, M. E.

    2014-12-01

    Despite residing in a state with 75% of North American earthquakes and three of the top 15 ever recorded, most Alaskans have limited knowledge about the science of earthquakes. To many, earthquakes are just part of everyday life, and to others, they are barely noticed until a large event happens, and often ignored even then. Alaskans are rugged, resilient people with both strong independence and tight community bonds. Rural villages in Alaska, most of which are inaccessible by road, are underrepresented in outreach efforts. Their remote locations and difficulty of access make outreach fiscally challenging. Teacher retention and small student bodies limit exposure to science and hinder student success in college. The arrival of EarthScope's Transportable Array, the 50th anniversary of the Great Alaska Earthquake, targeted projects with large outreach components, and increased community interest in earthquake knowledge have provided opportunities to spread information across Alaska. We have found that performing hands-on demonstrations, identifying seismological relevance toward career opportunities in Alaska (such as natural resource exploration), and engaging residents through place-based experience have increased the public's interest and awareness of our active home.

  8. Influencing the Future: Special Considerations for IPY Education and Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beitler, J.

    2004-12-01

    The International Geophysical Year (IGY) of 1957-1958 created a valuable legacy, by not only advancing the sciences involved, but by also stimulating interest in and support for science, and by inspiring many to enter science careers. Successful education and outreach efforts in conjunction with IGY transmitted this energy to the public and helped researchers to create this legacy. The International Polar Year (IPY) for 2007-2008 again holds promise to generate new scientific insights and leave a similar legacy -- if the sciences are once again successful in connecting with the public. Despite the fine example of the IGY of 1958 -1959, the way forward for meaningful education and outreach for IPY isn't entirely clear. Every element affecting science education and outreach today is considerably more complex, and the distinct challenges and opportunities of today may not always be addressed by simply extending what has been helpful in the past. Whether a large research group or an individual researcher, whether working with a dedicated outreach staff or conducting outreach more informally, whether already operating successful outreach programs or starting from scratch, any project intending an education and outreach effort will significantly increase its relevance and effectiveness by taking pause to formulate specific goals and objectives for IPY. Such thinking shouldn't be entirely delegated to non-researchers. The engagement of the scientists themselves in setting objectives for education and outreach will provide the strongest outcome. This discussion analyzes the communication setting for IPY as it affects outreach and education efforts, and proposes a model for discussing and formulating outreach and education objectives. It poses the key questions that should be asked and answered in order to ensure that researchers take full advantage of education and outreach opportunities with IPY, whatever the scope of their efforts. Education and outreach programs that

  9. Navigating the Obstacles in Science Education for School Outreach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rincon, Diana; Roig, Gustavo

    2007-01-01

    This paper gives an overview of the education outreach initiatives that the authors have personally been involved with, their successes and shortcomings are discussed with ways to overcome the difficulties encountered. Recommendations are given on how to navigate the obstacles. Industry professionals, college professors and even church groups participate in education outreach initiatives. For a successful experience, one has to navigate through various phases of the process. The strategy is to convince stakeholders that there is value in doing the outreach activity, form a partnership with the school, circumnavigate the security and administrative procedures, and finally deliver the material to the students. Successful education outreach programs have well-defined objectives, roles and expectations. Success depends on the level of commitment of all parties involved. Taking a look at individual programs, focusing on their shortcomings and best practices, this paper serves as a compilation of useful ideas for effective science and math education outreach. Navigation techniques mentioned in this paper systematically address each obstacle encountered, making solid recommendations for the future. One of the biggest challenges is showing the direct benefits of the outreach activity to stakeholders, so they can see how they profit from sacrificing their workers as outreach mentors.

  10. Outreach training: the special interest group's report.

    PubMed

    Smith, M; Ash, P; Gilmour, A S M; Austin, T; Robinson, P G

    2011-05-01

    Following three sessions at ADEE Annual Meetings, the special interest group on outreach training presents a brief report of its proceedings. Outreach, here, is clinical teaching away from the home dental school. After covering the diversity and benefits of programmes, the report considers different models and the relationship between contexts and outcomes. It concludes that: outreach provides access to additional resources; programmes prepare students for the demands of the profession; a programme's design should harmonise with both its context and its objectives; and, the educational benefits warrant the additional organisation involved. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  11. Universities Conducting STEM Outreach: A Conceptual Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eilam, Efrat; Bigger, Stephen W.; Sadler, Kirsten; Barry, Fiachra; Bielik, Tom

    2016-01-01

    This paper addresses the positioning of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach programmes within universities' operations. Though universities in many respects form a rather homogenous international community, there is wide diversity in regard to the provision of STEM outreach by different institutions. To explain this…

  12. Paired peer learning through engineering education outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fogg-Rogers, Laura; Lewis, Fay; Edmonds, Juliet

    2017-01-01

    Undergraduate education incorporating active learning and vicarious experience through education outreach presents a critical opportunity to influence future engineering teaching and practice capabilities. Engineering education outreach activities have been shown to have multiple benefits; increasing interest and engagement with science and engineering for school children, providing teachers with expert contributions to engineering subject knowledge, and developing professional generic skills for engineers such as communication and teamwork. This pilot intervention paired 10 pre-service teachers and 11 student engineers to enact engineering outreach in primary schools, reaching 269 children. A longitudinal mixed methods design was employed to measure change in attitudes and Education Outreach Self-Efficacy in student engineers; alongside attitudes, Teaching Engineering Self-Efficacy and Engineering Subject Knowledge Confidence in pre-service teachers. Highly significant improvements were noted in the pre-service teachers' confidence and self-efficacy, while both the teachers and engineers qualitatively described benefits arising from the paired peer mentor model.

  13. Outreach Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bookmark, 1988

    1988-01-01

    The 17 articles in this theme issue focus on public library system outreach in the state of New York. Individual articles are: (1) "New York's Population: Change Is Permanent" (Robert Scardamalia); (2) "Special Library Needs of Children and Young Adults in the Decade of the Child and Beyond" (Maureen O. Ferrell); (3) "Bookmobiles Reach Out to…

  14. The HVAC Challenges of Upgrading an Old Lab for High-end Light Microscopes

    PubMed Central

    Richard, R.; Martone, P.; Callahan, L.M.

    2014-01-01

    The University of Rochester Medical Center forms the centerpiece of the University of Rochester's health research, teaching, patient care, and community outreach missions. Within this large facility of over 5 million square feet, demolition and remodeling of existing spaces is a constant activity. With more than $145 million in federal research funding, lab space is frequently repurposed and renovated to support this work. The URMC Medical Center Facilities Organization supporting small to medium space renovations is constantly challenged and constrained by the existing mechanical infrastructure and budgets to deliver a renovated space that functions within the equipment environmental parameters. One recent project, sponsored by the URMC Shared Resources Laboratory, demonstrates these points. The URMC Light Microscopy Shared Resource Laboratory requested renovation of a 121 sq. ft. room in a 40 year old building which would enable placement of a laser capture microdissection microscope and a Pascal 5 laser scanning confocal microscope with the instruments separated by a blackout curtain. This poster discusses the engineering approach implemented to bring an older lab into the environmental specifications needed for the proper operation of the high-end light microscopes.

  15. Leveraging Outreach Efforts for Big-Impact Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fisher, D.; Leon, N.

    2000-10-01

    The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) strongly emphasizes the importance of public and educational outreach as an intrinsic part of every space mission. Not only is it necessary to gain and retain public support for space science missions, but also it is an explicit mandate that NASA make every effort to offer genuine and accessible value to the general public in exchange for its support. The product of value is, first of all, information. Of course part of this outreach effort includes industrial technology transfer and free access to raw data for study by science investigators. But an equally important part includes reaching out to a number of different audiences, including those younger members of our society who will soon be choosing their careers, paying taxes, voting, and helping to decide the direction that space exploration and other scientific research will -- or will not -- take in the coming decades. NASA seeks to implement this commitment through each of its space missions Thus, each NASA mission needs include a small budget for public and educational outreach. But how can these missions best use this resource? This paper describes in some detail the approach taken by a small educational outreach team for NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP). The outreach team's approach is twofold: develop a highly desirable suite of products designed to appeal to, as well as inform, a variety of different audiences; then negotiate relationships with existing channels for dissemination of these products. This latter task is normally the most expensive part of outreach. The paper will describe in some detail both the products and the "marketing" approach for those products.

  16. Physics Outreach for WYP

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Conlon, Julie

    2004-11-01

    The year 2005 has been designated The World Year of Physics (WYP). The purpose of this paper is to give some examples of how physicists at all levels may help to make the WYP a success in bringing physics to the general public. Specifically, I want to share some of the ideas and techniques that have been developed as a part of Purdue University's School of Science outreach program. An important facet of this program is PEARLS (Physics Educational Actvities, Resources and Learning Strategies). PEARLS views outreach as a "menu" of options to meet various needs and requests, whether they come from schools, scout groups, nursing homes, etc. (see Fig. 1). We've presented to all!

  17. Evolution of State Outreach Efforts Under SCHIP

    PubMed Central

    Williams, Susan R.; Rosenbach, Margo L.

    2007-01-01

    States have shown creativity and adaptability in developing outreach strategies to promote State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) enrollment. As the program has matured and the fiscal environment has tightened, States have learned what efforts are successful and have tailored their approaches accordingly This article reviews the evolution of State outreach strategies under SCHIP, using qualitative information from all 50 States and the District of Columbia. Early campaigns were aimed at building broad awareness of SCHIP. Over time, States have adapted their outreach campaigns to close the gaps in enrolling hard-to-reach populations, by modifying their target populations, messages, methods, organizational strategies, and emphasis. PMID:17722754

  18. Outreach and Program Evaluation: Some Measurement Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richard, Alan J.; And Others

    1996-01-01

    The experience of 10 years evaluating HIV risk-reduction intervention for drug users leads to the argument that program outreach workers are part of the intervention continuum and have important effects on service delivery. Improving pre-enrollment data collection will address evaluation issues raised by pre-enrollment outreach contacts. (SLD)

  19. Outreach and Engagement Education for Graduate Students in Natural Resources: Developing a Course to Enrich a Graduate Outreach Requirement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Latimore, Jo A.; Dreelin, Erin A.; Burroughs, Jordan Pusateri

    2014-01-01

    Scientists need to engage stakeholders in natural resource management; however, few graduate programs prepare students to conduct outreach and engagement. Given this need, the authors' goals were to (1) create a one-credit course that introduced outreach and engagement practices and participatory approaches, (2) improve the quality of graduate…

  20. Predictors of Outreach Meetings Among Substance Using Homeless Youth.

    PubMed

    Carmona, Jasmin; Slesnick, Natasha; Guo, Xiamei; Murnan, Aaron; Brakenhoff, Brittany

    2017-01-01

    Homeless youth have high rates of substance use and often lack connection to social services. Outreach is critical for connecting youth to services, but factors influencing their outreach engagement are unknown. This study examined predictors of meetings with outreach workers among 79 non-service connected, substance using homeless youth between 14 and 24 years of age. Results provide direction to service providers in that older age, higher levels of depressive symptoms, fewer drug-related problems, and no use of hard drugs within the prior 30 days predicted higher meeting attendance. Future research is needed testing strategies that overcome barriers to outreach engagement.

  1. Outreach impact study: the case of the Greater Midwest Region.

    PubMed

    Huber, Jeffrey T; Kean, Emily B; Fitzgerald, Philip D; Altman, Trina A; Young, Zach G; Dupin, Katherine M; Leskovec, Jacqueline; Holst, Ruth

    2011-10-01

    The purpose of the study was to assess the impact that funding from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Greater Midwest Region (GMR), has on member institutions' ability to conduct outreach on behalf of NN/LM. The study employed both content analysis and survey methodologies. The final reports from select GMR-funded outreach projects (n = 20) were analyzed based on a set of evaluation criteria. Project principal investigators (n = 13) were then surveyed using the same evaluation criteria. Results indicated that outreach projects supported by GMR funding improved access to biomedical information for professionals and the general public. Barriers to conducting outreach projects included time constraints or commitments, staffing, scheduling and absenteeism, inadequate space, and issues associated with technology (e.g., hardware and software, Internet connectivity and firewall issues, and creation and use of new technologies). The majority of project principal investigators indicated that their attempts to conduct outreach were successful. Moreover, most noted that outreach had a positive impact on professionals as well as the general public. In general, it seems that negative outcomes, as with most barriers to conducting outreach, can be mitigated by more thorough planning.

  2. Astrophysics for Early Elementary Students and Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, R.

    2004-12-01

    How can very young students be taught astrophysics? What can we offer to teachers of K-4 students? Whether you deal directly with youngsters in classrooms, work with your School of Education to develop science inquiry training, or offer occasional general outreach, we discuss activities your program can adopt from the University of Oregon's Electronic Universe outreach program. This collaboration through NASA's Oregon Space Grant plus citizen amateur astronomers has been successfully delivering astrophysics to students in all grades throughout Oregon for over a decade. Students in grades K-4 are generally very enthusiastic learners who have a lot of interest in content and technology about space. Unfortunately typical curricula, state learning requirements, and typical training of their teachers is usually very simplistic and often contains erroneous and outdated materials. We'll work through a series of explorations designed for elementary level that use digital data and virtual reality simulations in conjunction with kinesthetic activities to connect observations such as brightness, shadows, motions, shapes, and colors to basic physical characteristics and properties. This is the starting place where we can grab already curious students and inspire teachers, particularly new teachers, to use space science content to develop science inquiry based curricula. Young students and their teachers can handle astrophysics if the topics are presented in familiar terms and with use of sufficient first hand modeling. Don't be afraid to start them early on these topics, this could dispel myths, generate future interest, and promote careers in science.

  3. Improving the Science Teaching Self-Efficacy of Preservice Elementary Teachers: A Multiyear Study of A Hybrid Geoscience Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cervato, Cinzia; Kerton, Charles

    2017-01-01

    We describe the impact of a hybrid Earth and space science course, taught online and complemented by a 2-hour face-to-face lab, on the science teaching self-efficacy of elementary preservice teachers over a 3-year span. Guided by the two overarching objectives of engaging students in the content and increasing their comfort level with teaching…

  4. Dropping Knowledge Like Frozen Pumpkins: Successful Physics Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hook, E. A.

    2011-12-01

    The Society of Physics Students (SPS) is a professional organization specifically designed for college students. A main purpose of SPS is to develop college students into effective members of the physics community; one of the best ways to do this is by promoting science outreach. College students are in a prime position to engage the public in outreach to increase scientific literacy: they're easier for younger, school-age students to identify with, they can reach young adults in a unique way, and they're old enough to seriously engage the general public. SPS helps hundreds of college chapters across the country engage in outreach. One such chapter is at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. The Rhodes College SPS chapter is active both in K12 schools and on its campus. Rhodes developed a position within its SPS structure to include an officer specifically related to handling outreach. For K12 schools this involved contacting teachers, organizing lessons, and holding training sessions for the college students preparing to teach the lessons. Rhodes SPS also focuses on campus outreach and trying to disabuse students of the notion that physics is stuffy, boring, and only for geniuses. Every fall, Rhodes SPS hosts an extremely popular annual Pumpkin Drop, as well as hosting demo shows, observatory open houses, and contests throughout the year for its students. One of the best received campus outreach programs is something called 'Stall Stories,' where SPS publishes a page flyer that goes in bathrooms around campus involving fun physics, a comic, and a list of SPS events. Rhodes SPS, like the national organization, has the goal of improving physics literacy among K12 students, college students, and the general public through effective outreach.

  5. Encouraging a Culture of Outreach in Astronomy Clubs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manning, J.; Berendsen, M.; Schultz, G.; Gurton, S.; Santascoy, J.; White, V.; Frank, K.; Jones, E.; Yocco, V.; John, M. S.; Castori, P.

    2014-07-01

    Astronomy clubs constitute a “marching army” of knowledgeable, experienced astronomy enthusiasts deployed in a national network: an important resource for engaging the public through educational outreach events and activities. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) in partnership with the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI) and Inverness Research, Inc., has been engaged in a multi-year NSF-supported project focusing on this network and its potential to advance astronomy education and outreach. The project has explored the culture of astronomy clubs, identified impediments to building cultures of outreach within clubs, and developed and introduced new mechanisms to overcome these impediments and enhance clubs' abilities to encourage and sustain cultures that value and promote outreach efforts. This paper shares initial research, development and evaluation findings of the project, and describes ongoing supplemental efforts that continue to advance project objectives.

  6. Berkeley Lab Training

    Science.gov Websites

    Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab A-Z Index Phone Book Jobs Search DOE Help Berkeley Lab Training Welcome Welcome to Berkeley Lab Training! Login to access your LBNL Training Profile. This provides quick access to all of the courses you need. Look below, to learn about different types of training available at

  7. Educational and public outreach programs using four-dimensional presentation of the earth and planetary science data with Dagik Earth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saito, A.; Tsugawa, T.; Nagayama, S.; Iwasaki, S.; Odagi, Y.; Kumano, Y.; Yoshikawa, M.; Akiya, Y.; Takahashi, M.

    2011-12-01

    We are developing educational and public outreach programs of the earth and planetary science data using a four-dimensional digital globe system, Dagik Earth. Dagik Earth is a simple and affordable four dimensional (three dimension in space and one dimension in time) presentation system of the earth and planetary scientific results. It can display the Earth and planets in three-dimensional way without glasses, and the time variation of the scientific data can be displayed on the Earth and planets image. It is easier to handle and lower cost than similar systems such as Geocosmos by Miraikan museum, Japan and Science On a Sphere by NOAA. At first it was developed as a presentation tool for public outreach programs in universities and research institutes by earth scientists. And now it is used in classrooms of schools and science museums collaboration with school teachers and museum curators. The three dimensional display can show the Earth and planets in exact form without any distortion, which cannot be achieved with two-dimensional display. Furthermore it can provide a sense of reality. Several educational programs have been developed and carried out in high schools, junior high schools, elementary schools and science centers. Several research institutes have used Dagik Earth in their public outreach programs to demonstrate their novel scientific results to public in universities, research institutes and science cafe events. A community of users and developers of Dagik Earth is being formed in Japan. In the presentation, the outline of Dagik Earth and the educational programs using Dagik Earth will be presented.

  8. Specialist outreach clinics in primary care and rural hospital settings.

    PubMed

    Gruen, R L; Weeramanthri, T S; Knight, S E; Bailie, R S

    2004-01-01

    Specialist medical practitioners have conducted clinics in primary care and rural hospital settings for a variety of reasons in many different countries. Such clinics have been regarded as an important policy option for increasing the accessibility and effectiveness of specialist services and their integration with primary care services. To undertake a descriptive overview of studies of specialist outreach clinics and to assess the effectiveness of specialist outreach clinics on access, quality, health outcomes, patient satisfaction, use of services, and costs. We searched the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) specialised register (March 2002), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CCTR) (Cochrane Library Issue 1, 2002), MEDLINE (including HealthStar) (1966 to May 2002), EMBASE (1988 to March 2002), CINAHL (1982 to March 2002), the Primary-Secondary Care Database previously maintained by the Centre for Primary Care Research in the Department of General Practice at the University of Manchester, a collection of studies from the UK collated in "Specialist Outreach Clinics in General Practice" (Roland 1998), and the reference lists of all retrieved articles. Randomised trials, controlled before and after studies and interrupted time series analyses of visiting specialist outreach clinics in primary care or rural hospital settings, either providing simple consultations or as part of complex multifaceted interventions. The participants were patients, specialists, and primary care providers. The outcomes included objective measures of access, quality, health outcomes, satisfaction, service use, and cost. Four reviewers working in pairs independently extracted data and assessed study quality. 73 outreach interventions were identified covering many specialties, countries and settings. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Most comparative studies came from urban non-disadvantaged populations in developed countries. Simple 'shifted outpatients

  9. Evaluation of education and outreach programs : research results.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-12-01

    "Education and outreach are acknowledged, if only anecdotally, for contributing to an overall safer rail environment. The use of education and outreach programs as a means to improve highway-rail safety has expanded over the years since 1970 and the ...

  10. Outreach impact study: the case of the Greater Midwest Region*

    PubMed Central

    Huber, Jeffrey T; Kean, Emily B; Fitzgerald, Philip D; Altman, Trina A; Young, Zach G; Dupin, Katherine M; Leskovec, Jacqueline; Holst, Ruth

    2011-01-01

    Objectives: The purpose of the study was to assess the impact that funding from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM), Greater Midwest Region (GMR), has on member institutions' ability to conduct outreach on behalf of NN/LM. Methods: The study employed both content analysis and survey methodologies. The final reports from select GMR-funded outreach projects (n = 20) were analyzed based on a set of evaluation criteria. Project principal investigators (n = 13) were then surveyed using the same evaluation criteria. Results: Results indicated that outreach projects supported by GMR funding improved access to biomedical information for professionals and the general public. Barriers to conducting outreach projects included time constraints or commitments, staffing, scheduling and absenteeism, inadequate space, and issues associated with technology (e.g., hardware and software, Internet connectivity and firewall issues, and creation and use of new technologies). Conclusions: The majority of project principal investigators indicated that their attempts to conduct outreach were successful. Moreover, most noted that outreach had a positive impact on professionals as well as the general public. In general, it seems that negative outcomes, as with most barriers to conducting outreach, can be mitigated by more thorough planning. PMID:22022223

  11. The Evolution of the Penn State University Astronomy Outreach Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Palma, C.; Charlton, J. C.

    2008-06-01

    The Penn State Dept. of Astronomy & Astrophysics has a long tradition of outreach. Faculty, students, and staff all participate as volunteers to create and deliver a variety of outreach programming to diverse audiences, including for example K-12 students, K-12 teachers, and senior citizens, in addition to open events that invite all members of the general public to attend. In the past four years, the University and the Department have provided institutional support for science outreach efforts. Many of our programs also receive financial support through NASA Education and Public outreach awards and through NSF awards to PSU Astronomy faculty. We actively collaborate with the NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium, the Penn State Center for Science and the Schools, four local school districts, and our colleagues from other science disciplines at the University. With this set of partners we are able to continue to innovate and offer new outreach programming annually. In this poster, we present an overview of the variety of outreach programs offered recently and those in the development stages. We describe how each program fits into the Department and University structure. In this way we provide a case study of a large, dynamic, university-based astronomy outreach venture.

  12. Utah's Mobile Earth Science Outreach Vehicle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schoessow, F. S.; Christian, L.

    2016-12-01

    Students at Utah State University's College of Natural Resources have engineered the first mobile Earth Science outreach platform capable of delivering high-tech and interactive solar-powered educational resources to the traditionally-underserved, remote communities of rural Utah. By retrofitting and modifying an industrial box-truck, this project effectively created a highly mobile and energy independent "school in a box" which seeks to help change the way that Earth science is communicated, eliminate traditional barriers, and increase science accessibility - both physically and conceptually. The project's education platform is focused on developing a more effective, sustainable, and engaging platform for presenting Earth science outreach curricula to community members of all ages in an engaging fashion. Furthermore, this project affords university students the opportunity to demonstrate innovative science communication techniques, translating vital university research into educational outreach operations aimed at doing real, measurable good for local communities.

  13. UCLA's outreach program of science education in the Los Angeles schools.

    PubMed

    Palacio-Cayetano, J; Kanowith-Klein, S; Stevens, R

    1999-04-01

    The UCLA School of Medicine's Interactive Multi-media Exercises (IMMEX) Project began its outreach into pre-college education in the Los Angeles area in 1993. The project provides a model in which software and technology are effectively intertwined with teaching, learning, and assessment (of both students' and teachers' performances) in the classroom. The project has evolved into a special collaboration between the medical school and Los Angeles teachers. UCLA faculty and staff work with science teachers and administrators from elementary, middle, and high schools. The program benefits ethnically and racially diverse groups of students in schools ranging from the inner city to the suburbs. The project's primary goal is to use technology to increase students' achievement and interest in science, including medicine, and thus move more students into the medical school pipeline. Evaluations from outside project evaluators (West Ed) as well as from teachers and IMMEX staff show that the project has already had a significant effect on teachers' professional development, classroom practice, and students' achievement in the Los Angeles area.

  14. The outreach sessions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trache, Livius

    2017-06-01

    These are moderator's remarks about the outreach sessions on the Saturday in the middle of the Carpathian Summer School of Physics 2016, on July 2nd, and in particular about the afternoon session in round table format with the subject: "JINR Dubna at 60 and the internationalization of science".

  15. Education and Outreach with the Northwest Indiana Robotic Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rengstorf, Adam W.; Slavin, S. D.

    2011-01-01

    The Northwest Indiana Robotic (NIRo) Telescope is being used to completely revise the introductory astronomy laboratory experiments at Purdue University Calumet (PUC). The NIRo telescope is a new 20-inch RC telescope. It was dedicated in Aug 2010, is designed to be operated remotely and/or robotically, and is located 30 miles south of PUC's campus in rural Lake county, IN. A suite of laboratory experiments is being developed and piloted during the 2010-2011 academic year. Lab experiments will progress from introductions to instruments and software, through simple data visualization and analysis, to developing and submitting an observing plan to complete multi-week laboratories. Experiments for both the solar system course and the stars & galaxies are being developed. Students in the solar system course will request and analyze images for such experiments as recreating Aristarchus’ relative size & distance calculations, establishing an observing strategy to monitor the Galilean satellites & determine Jupiter's mass, an ongoing `asteroid hunt', Martian retrograde motion, and Venusian phases. The stars & galaxies course will complete labs on galaxy morphology, eclipsing binaries, building an HR-diagram, cluster aging, and distances to Cepheid variables. The main outreach component is the development of a primary education program. In conjunction with the PUC School of Education and area middle-school science teachers, we are in the process of identifying the subset of laboratory ideas best suited to the State of Indiana Earth & Space Science teaching standards from grades 6 - 8. These laboratories are being developed into finished data products, curricula, and learning modules appropriate for the middle school classroom. The middle school classroom will be able to request observations and retrieve reduced images via an internet portal, currently in development. This project has been funded by NSF award #DUE-0736592.

  16. The Role of the Modern Planetarium as an Effective Tool in Astronomy Education and Public Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albin, Edward F.

    2016-01-01

    As the planetarium approaches its 100th anniversary, today's planetarium educator must reflect on the role of such technology in contemporary astronomy education and outreach. The projection planetarium saw "first light" in 1923 at the Carl Zeiss factory in Jena, Germany. During the 20th century, the concept of a star projector beneath a dome flourished as an extraordinary device for the teaching of astronomy. The evolution of digital technology over the past twenty years has dramatically changed the perception / utilization of the planetarium. The vast majority of modern star theaters have shifted entirely to fulldome digital projection systems, abandoning the once ubiquitous electromechanical star projector altogether. These systems have evolved into ultra-high resolution theaters, capable of projecting imagery, videos, and any web-based media onto the dome. Such capability has rendered the planetarium as a multi-disciplinary tool, broadening its educational appeal to a wide variety of fields -- including life sciences, the humanities, and even entertainment venues. However, we suggest that what is at the heart of the planetarium appeal is having a theater adept at projecting a beautiful / accurate star-field. To this end, our facility chose to keep / maintain its aging Zeiss V star projector while adding fulldome digital capability. Such a hybrid approach provides an excellent compromise between presenting state of the art multimedia while at the same time maintaining the ability to render a stunning night sky. In addition, our facility maintains two portable StarLab planetariums for outreach purposes, one unit with a classic electromechanical star projector and the other having a relatively inexpensive fulldome projection system. With a combination of these technologies, it is possible for the planetarium to be an effective tool for astronomical education / outreach well into the 21st century.

  17. Consumer satisfaction with a rehabilitation mobile outreach program.

    PubMed

    Wilson, K G; Crupi, C D; Greene, G; Gaulin-Jones, B; Dehoux, E; Korol, C T

    1995-10-01

    Accessibility to rehabilitation services is often difficult for people with disabilities who live in rural areas. This study examined consumer satisfaction with a rehabilitation outreach approach that utilizes a mobile clinic to provide consultation services. The descriptive survey took place in fifteen rural communities in eastern and northeastern Ontario, Canada. Valid postconsultation mail surveys were completed by 143 consecutive patients with mixed diagnoses (or proxy family members) who had been seen during mobile clinic visits to their home communities (85.1% of patients approached). There were 59 men and 84 women, with an average age of 58.7 years. The main outcome measure was a consumer satisfaction scale. A high level of global satisfaction was reported, with 97.2% of respondents reporting a preference for community outreach over the alternative of traveling to an urban rehabilitation center. Enhanced accessibility was considered to be the major advantage of the outreach program, but concerns about the continuity of care were also expressed. Providing interdisciplinary rehabilitation consultation services on an outreach basis is associated with a high level of consumer satisfaction. From a consumer perspective, the outreach approach seems to be a viable way of addressing some of the rehabilitation needs of rural people with disabilities.

  18. A Multi-Year Study of the Impact of the Rice Model Teacher Professional Development on Elementary Science Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viorica Diaconu, Dana; Radigan, Judy; Suskavcevic, Milijana; Nichol, Carolyn

    2012-04-01

    A teacher professional development program for in-service elementary school science teachers, the Rice Elementary Model Science Lab (REMSL), was developed for urban school districts serving predominately high-poverty, high-minority students. Teachers with diverse skills and science capacities came together in Professional Learning Communities, one full day each week throughout an academic year, to create a classroom culture for science instruction. Approximately 80 teachers each year received professional development in science content and pedagogy using the same inquiry-based constructivist methods that the teachers were expected to use in their classrooms. During this four-year study, scientists and educators worked with elementary teachers in a year-long model science lab environment to provide science content and science pedagogy. The effectiveness of the program was measured using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods that allowed the researchers to triangulate the findings from quantitative measures, such as content test and surveys, with the emerging themes from the qualitative instruments, such as class observations and participant interviews. Results showed that, in all four years, teachers from the REMSL Treatment group have significantly increased their science content knowledge (p < 0.05). During the last two years, their gains in science content knowledge, use of inquiry-based instruction and leadership skills were significantly higher than those of the Control group teachers' (p < 0.01, p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively). Three themes resonated in the interviews with participants: science content knowledge growth, constructivist pedagogy and leadership skills.

  19. Educational Outreach by the NSF Polymers Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lovinger, Andrew J.

    2002-03-01

    Education and outreach have been NSF priority areas over the last few years. Reviewers of all proposals are explicitly asked to evaluate not only the "intellectual merit" of a research proposal but also its "broader impacts", including specifically "integration of research and education". The NSF Polymers Program has strongly emphasized these areas and has initiated and supported a wide variety of outreach activities designed to bring out the importance of polymeric materials to diverse communities and to encourage young students to develop interests in this area. Specific activities have included: Workshops and their broad dissemination through the media; press releases on important polymer-related developments; interviews to the scientific and popular press; outreach to Congress; establishment of widely publicized and broadly attended lecture series; funding and support of conferences, symposia, and workshops aimed at students and teachers from kindergarten to graduate school; support of web-based educational projects aimed at the general public and schoolchildren; participation in web-based "ask-the-experts" resources to answer science questions from children or the general public; and personal outreach to middle- and high-schools through talks and demonstrations on polymers and plastics, participation at science fairs, career days, etc.

  20. It's Elementary: Special Topics in Elementary Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crawford, Patricia A., Ed.; Burriss, Kathleen Glascott, Ed.

    As elementary teachers work to educate and meet the needs of the students in their care, their job has become increasingly challenging and demanding. This volume addresses a variety of issues and topics related to elementary education around eight sectional themes relevant to the work of elementary teachers: celebrating diversity, classroom…

  1. Graduate Students Unite! Building an Outreach Program From Scratch

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reif, C.; Labonte, A.

    2005-12-01

    In the spring of 2000, a group of graduate students at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) gathered and declared the need to facilitate participation in science education outreach. The result was the formation of the Scripps Community Outreach Program for Education (SCOPE, http://sioscope.ucsd.edu). SCOPE has been connecting SIO graduate students, faculty, and staff with existing outreach programs in the San Diego area ever since. While many scientists would like to commit some time to helping the general public understand the world around them, they often do not know where to begin. To make this connection, SCOPE holds meetings and operates an email listserv to announce upcoming outreach opportunities and sign up volunteers. Over the years, SCOPE has developed relationships with local science outreach groups, outreach events, schools, and teachers. There are usually at least two volunteer opportunities a month, some of which take place on the SIO campus itself. These opportunities include speaking to senior citizens, participating in a school career day, mentoring National Ocean Science Bowl teams, providing tours of SIO to minority middle and high school students, and just about anything else one can imagine. The opportunities are coordinated by one or two graduate students who graciously volunteer their time to make sure that community's and the scientist's needs are met. To keep such an organization running requires not only networking with the community but also networking within the university as well. It is necessary to keep in contact with other outreach groups on campus as well as the communication and development offices. In addition we have worked closely with the Birch Aquarium at Scripps and have played an important part of the California Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE, http://www.cacosee.net). We believe that SCOPE has been very successful and would like to share the lessons we have learned with interested members of the

  2. 76 FR 17451 - Online OSHA Outreach Training Programs

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-29

    ... must submit an application in order to be considered to offer online Outreach Training Program courses... minimum of 3 years training experience; (b) They each are in good standing (not on probation, suspended... Outreach Training Program course would be offered online, and any relevant language or target audience...

  3. Expanded Outreach at Clemson University. A Case Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bennett, A. Wayne

    This paper summarizes recent strategic planning activities at Clemson University, focusing on outreach and extended education goals at the university. Specific benchmarks for outreach and extended education include: (1) by May 1994, each department will develop an operational definition of its public service mission, an action plan to integrate…

  4. Coalbed Methane Outreach Program

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Coalbed Methane Outreach Program, voluntary program seeking to reduce methane emissions from coal mining activities. CMOP promotes profitable recovery/use of coal mine methane (CMM), addressing barriers to using CMM instead of emitting it to atmosphere.

  5. Avenues for Scientist Involvement in Earth and Space Science Education and Public Outreach (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peticolas, L. M.; Gross, N. A.; Hsu, B. C.; Shipp, S. S.; Buxner, S.; Schwerin, T. G.; Smith, D.; Meinke, B. K.

    2013-12-01

    NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forums are charged with engaging, extending, supporting, and coordinating the community of E/PO professionals and scientists involved in Earth and space science education activities. This work is undertaken to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall national NASA science education and outreach effort made up of individual efforts run by these education professionals. This includes facilitating scientist engagement in education and outreach. A number of resources and opportunities for involvement are available for scientists involved in - or interested in being involved in - education or outreach. The Forums provide opportunities for earth and space scientists to stay informed, communicate, collaborate, leverage existing programs and partnerships, and become more skilled education practitioners. Interested scientists can receive newsletters, participate in monthly calls, interact through an online community workspace, and attend E/PO strategic meetings. The Forums also provide professional development opportunities on a myriad of topics, from common pre-conceptions in science, to program evaluation, to delivering effective workshops. Thematic approaches, such as Earth Science Week (http://www.earthsciweek.org), and the Year of the Solar System (http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss) are coordinated by the Forums; through these efforts resources are presented topically, in a manner that can be easily ported into diverse learning environments. Information about the needs of audiences with which scientists interact - higher education, K-12 education, informal education, and public - are provided by SMD's Audience-Based Working Groups. Their findings and recommendations are made available to inform the activities and products of E/PO providers so they are able to better serve these audiences. Also available is a 'one-stop shop' of SMD E/PO products and resources that can be

  6. USDOT guidance summary for connected vehicle deployments : deployment outreach.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-07-01

    This document provides guidance material in regards to the outreach activities in the CV Pilot Deployment ConceptDevelopment Phase and deployment outreach plan in the Deployment Phases. This guidance provides keyrequirements and references in develop...

  7. Enhancing the Impact of NASA Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach: Community Collaborations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Denise A.; Lawton, B. L.; Bartolone, L.; Schultz, G. R.; Blair, W. P.; Astrophysics E/PO Community, NASA; NASA Astrophysics Forum Team

    2013-01-01

    The NASA Astrophysics Science Education and Public Outreach Forum is one of four scientist-educator teams that support NASA's Science Mission Directorate and its nationwide education and public outreach community in increasing the coherence, efficiency, and effectiveness of their education and public outreach efforts. NASA Astrophysics education and outreach teams collaborate with each other through the Astrophysics Forum to place individual programs in context, connect with broader education and public outreach activities, learn and share successful strategies and techniques, and develop new partnerships. This poster highlights examples of collaborative efforts designed to engage youth and adults across the full spectrum of learning environments, from public outreach venues, to centers of informal learning, to K-12 and higher education classrooms. These include coordinated efforts to support major outreach events such as the USA Science and Engineering Festival; pilot "Astro4Girls" activities in public libraries to engage girls and their families in science during Women’s History Month; and a pilot "NASA's Multiwavelength Universe" online professional development course for middle and high school educators. Resources to assist scientists and Astro101 instructors in incorporating NASA Astrophysics discoveries into their education and public outreach efforts are also discussed.

  8. Commentary: Outreach, Engagement, and the Changing Culture of the University--1998

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Byrne, John V.

    2016-01-01

    In this commentary, author John Byrne reflects on his 1998 "Journal of Public Service & Outreach" article, "Outreach, Engagement, and the Changing Culture of the University" reprinted in this 20th anniversary issue of "Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement." Byrne's 1998 article was a call to modify…

  9. Engineering perceptions of female and male K-12 students: effects of a multimedia overview on elementary, middle-, and high-school students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Amy M.; Ozogul, Gamze; DiDonato, Matt D.; Reisslein, Martin

    2013-10-01

    Computer-based multimedia presentations employing animated agents (avatars) can positively impact perceptions about engineering; the current research advances our understanding of this effect to pre-college populations, the main target for engineering outreach. The study examines the effectiveness of a brief computer-based intervention with animated agents in improving perceptions about engineering. Five hundred sixty-five elementary, middle-, and high-school students in the southwestern USA viewed a short computer-based multimedia overview of four engineering disciplines (electrical, chemical, biomedical, and environmental) with embedded animated agents. Students completed identical surveys measuring five subscales of engineering perceptions immediately before and after the intervention. Analyses of pre- and post-surveys demonstrated that the computer presentation significantly improved perceptions for each student group, and that effects were stronger for elementary school students, compared to middle- and high-school students.

  10. Reaching Out: Extending the Argument about Debate Outreach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grassmick, David; Clinton, Pamela A.

    A. C. Snider has suggested that CEDA (Cross Examination Debate Association) should create an outreach program to connect CEDA debate programs with the high school policy debate community. Most debate educators would laud programs that promise to train more students in argumentation, but a pilot program shows that an outreach program does not…

  11. e-Learning - Physics Labs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohottala, Hashini

    2014-03-01

    The general student population enrolled in any college level class is highly diverse. An increasing number of ``nontraditional'' students return to college and most of these students follow distance learning degree programs while engaging in their other commitments, work and family. However, those students tend to avoid taking science courses with labs, mostly because of the incapability of remotely completing the lab components in such courses. In order to address this issue, we have come across a method where introductory level physics labs can be taught remotely. In this process a lab kit with the critical lab components that can be easily accessible are conveniently packed into a box and distributed among students at the beginning of the semester. Once the students are given the apparatus they perform the experiments at home and gather data All communications with reference to the lab was done through an interactive user-friendly webpage - Wikispaces (WikiS). Students who create pages on WikiS can submit their lab write-ups, embed videos of the experiments they perform, post pictures and direct questions to the lab instructor. The students who are enrolled in the same lab can interact with each other through WikiS to discuss labs and even get assistance.

  12. Evaluation of outreach clinics held by specialists in general practice in England

    PubMed Central

    Bond, M.; Bowling, A.; Abery, A.; McClay, M.; Dickinson, E.

    2000-01-01

    OBJECTIVES—To measure the processes of care, health benefits and costs of outreach clinics held by hospital specialists in primary care settings.
DESIGN—The study was designed as a case-referent (comparative) study in which the features of 19 outreach clinics (cases) were compared with matched outpatient clinics (controls). The measuring instruments were self administered questionnaires. Patients were followed up at six months to reassess health status. The specialties included in the study were cardiology, ENT, general medicine, general surgery, gynaecology and rheumatology.
SETTING—Specialist outreach clinics in general practice in England, with matched outpatient clinic controls.
SUBJECTS—Consecutive patient attenders in the outreach and outpatient clinics, their specialists, the outreach patients' general practitioners, practice managers and trust accountants. Patients' response rate at baseline: 78% (1420).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES—Patient satisfaction, doctors' attitudes, processes and health outcomes, costs.
RESULTS—Outreach patients were more satisfied with the processes of their care than outpatients, their access to specialist care was better than that for outpatients and they were more likely to be discharged. Doctors reported that the main advantages of the outreach clinic were improved patient access to specialists and convenience for patients, in comparison with outpatients, and most GPs and specialists felt the outreach clinic was "worthwhile". At six month follow up, the health status of the outreach sample had significantly improved more than that of the outpatients on all eight sub-scales of the HSQ-12, but this was probably because of their better starting point at baseline. The impact of outreach on health outcomes was small. The NHS costs of outreach were significantly higher than outpatients. An increase in outreach clinic size would reduce cost per patient, but would lead to the loss of most of the clinics' benefits

  13. OceanVideoLab: A Tool for Exploring Underwater Video

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferrini, V. L.; Morton, J. J.; Wiener, C.

    2016-02-01

    Video imagery acquired with underwater vehicles is an essential tool for characterizing seafloor ecosystems and seafloor geology. It is a fundamental component of ocean exploration that facilitates real-time operations, augments multidisciplinary scientific research, and holds tremendous potential for public outreach and engagement. Acquiring, documenting, managing, preserving and providing access to large volumes of video acquired with underwater vehicles presents a variety of data stewardship challenges to the oceanographic community. As a result, only a fraction of underwater video content collected with research submersibles is documented, discoverable and/or viewable online. With more than 1 billion users, YouTube offers infrastructure that can be leveraged to help address some of the challenges associated with sharing underwater video with a broad global audience. Anyone can post content to YouTube, and some oceanographic organizations, such as the Schmidt Ocean Institute, have begun live-streaming video directly from underwater vehicles. OceanVideoLab (oceanvideolab.org) was developed to help improve access to underwater video through simple annotation, browse functionality, and integration with related environmental data. Any underwater video that is publicly accessible on YouTube can be registered with OceanVideoLab by simply providing a URL. It is strongly recommended that a navigational file also be supplied to enable geo-referencing of observations. Once a video is registered, it can be viewed and annotated using a simple user interface that integrates observations with vehicle navigation data if provided. This interface includes an interactive map and a list of previous annotations that allows users to jump to times of specific observations in the video. Future enhancements to OceanVideoLab will include the deployment of a search interface, the development of an application program interface (API) that will drive the search and enable querying of

  14. Outreach Opportunities for Early Career Scientists at the Phoenix ComiCon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horodyskyj, L.; Walker, S. I.; Forrester, J. H.

    2014-12-01

    The Phoenix ComiCon (PCC) is a rapidly growing annual four-day pop culture event, featuring guests, costuming, exhibits, and discussion panels for popular sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and anime franchises. In 2013, PCC began experimenting with science discussion panels. The popularity of the science programming resulted in an expansion of the track for 2014, which Horodyskyj was responsible for coordinating. Thirty hours of programming were scheduled, including 25 discussion panels, NASA's FameLab, and a Mars room. Panelists included industry specialists, established scientists, STEM outreach enthusiasts, and early career scientists. The majority of the panelists were early career scientists recruited from planetary sciences and biology departments at ASU and UA. Panel topics included cosmology, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, space exploration, astrobiology, and the cross-linkages of each with pop culture. Formats consisted of Q&A, presentations, and interactive game shows. Although most panels were aimed at the general audience, some panels were more specialized. PCC 2014 attracted 77,818 attendees. The science programming received rave reviews from the audience, the PCC management, and the panelists themselves. Many panel rooms were filled to capacity and required crowd control to limit attendance. We observed the formation of science "groupies" who sought out the science panels exclusively and requested more information on other science public events in the Phoenix area. We distributed surveys to several select sessions to evaluate audience reasons for attending the science panels and their opinion of the scientists they observed. We will present the results of these surveys. As the PCC continues to grow at an exponential rate, the science programming will continue to expand. We will discuss ideas for continued expansion of the PCC science programming both to serve the public and as a unique public outreach opportunity for early career scientists.

  15. Inclusive outreach practices in Palaeontology: Inclusive-Coworking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    García-Frank, Alejandra; Gomez-Heras, Miguel; Fesharaki, Omid

    2017-04-01

    Previous experiences with people with both physical and intellectual functional diversity around palaeontological issues have demonstrated the important value of science outreach directed to people with disabilities. The aforementioned practices act twofold: as a learning tool and also improving the quality of life of the participants and thus, their self-image. All these pioneer experiences were the first step in a process of developing new attitudes contributing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of United Nations, where among the 17 goals proposed an effective social inclusion of people with disabilities is required. For this, real inclusive practices in geological outreach are imperious. A close cooperation with all the parts (researchers and participants), in a kind of coworking attitude is needed. This Inclusive-Coworking is considered in the sense of social gathering in order to share equal values and look for the synergy that this different outlook implies. And what is more important: the change of role of the previously learners into an active part of the scientific outreach, providing the adequate methodology for that. The offer of non-formal learning activities normally includes the participation of university professors and researchers in Science Week editions. During the 2016 session in Madrid, four adults with intellectual disability who were participants in the previous edition, contributed in the palaeontological workshop. They were in charge of four of the eight modules explaining the origin of fossils and how to collect them, the evolution of equids' limbs, and the main dentition types in vertebrates to the twenty 16 year old secondary students who attended the workshop. During the development of the experience all the students were pleased with the inclusive approach, and the interaction of all participants was fruitful. Although the explanations took a bit more time when made by our functional diverse fellows, all the abstracts concepts

  16. Scholarship: The Key to Creating Change through Outreach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruns, Karen; Conklin, Nikki; Wright, Mindy; Hoover, David; Brace, Ben; Wise, Greg; Pendleton, Fariba; Dann, Michael; Martin, Michael; Childers, Jeri

    2002-01-01

    Outreach can and should exemplify the characteristics typical of any scholarly work if it is to create change in our communities and universities. Glassick, Huber, and Maeroff's insight on the standards for scholarly work are reflected in the processes commonly used to implement outreach. Boyer challenges us to think of scholarship as a communal…

  17. Educational outreach visits: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes.

    PubMed

    Thomson O'Brien, M A; Oxman, A D; Davis, D A; Haynes, R B; Freemantle, N; Harvey, E L

    2000-01-01

    Outreach visits have been identified as an intervention that may improve the practice of health care professionals, in particular prescribing. This type of 'face to face' visit has been referred to as university-based educational detailing, public interest detailing, and academic detailing. To assess the effects of outreach visits on improving health professional practice or patient outcomes. We searched MEDLINE up to March 1997, the Research and Development Resource Base in Continuing Medical Education, and reference lists of related systematic reviews and articles. Randomised trials of outreach visits (defined as a personal visit by a trained person to a health care provider in his or her own setting). The participants were health care professionals. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. Eighteen studies were included involving more than 1896 physicians. All of the outreach visit interventions consisted of several components, including written materials and conferences. Reminders or audit and feedback complemented some visits. In 13 studies, the targeted behaviours were prescribing practices. In three studies, the behaviours were preventive services, including counselling for smoking cessation. In two studies, the outreach visits were directed toward improving the general management of common problems encountered in general practice, including asthma, diabetes, otitis media, hypertension, anxiety, and acute bronchitis. All studies examined physician behaviour and in three studies other health professionals such as nurses, nursing home attendants or health care workers were targeted. Positive effects on practice were observed in all studies. Only one study measured a patient outcome. Few studies examined the cost effectiveness of outreach. Educational outreach visits, particularly when combined with social marketing, appear to be a promising approach to modifying health professional behaviour, especially prescribing. Further

  18. Optics outreach in Irish context

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McHugh, Emer; Smith, Arlene

    2009-06-01

    The Applied Optics Group, National University of Ireland Galway is a research centre involved in programmes that cover a wide variety of topics in applied optics and imaging science, including smart optics, adaptive optics, optical scattering and propagation, and engineering optics. The Group have also developed significant outreach programmes both in Primary and Post-Primary schools. It is recognised that there is a need for innovation in Science Education in Ireland and we are committed to working extensively with schools. The main aim of these outreach programmes is to increase awareness and interest in science with students and enhance the communication skills of the researchers working in the Group. The education outreach team works closely with the relevant teachers in both Primary and Post-Primary schools to design and develop learning initiatives to match the needs of the target group of students. The learning programmes are usually delivered in the participating schools during normal class time by a team of Applied Optics specialists. We are involved in running these programmes in both Primary and Post-Primary schools where the programmes are tailored to the curriculum and concentrating on optics and light. The students may also visit the Groups research centre where presentations and laboratory tours are arranged.

  19. OZONE MONITORING, MAPPING, AND PUBLIC OUTREACH ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The U.S. EPA had developed a handbook to help state and local government officials implement ozone monitoring, mapping, and outreach programs. The handbook, called Ozone Monitoring, Mapping, and Public Outreach: Delivering Real-Time Ozone Information to Your Community, provides step-by-step instructions on how to: Design, site, operate, and maintain an ozone monitoring network. Install, configure, and operate the Automatic Data Transfer System Use MapGen software to create still-frame and animated ozone maps. Develop and outreach plan to communicate information about real-time ozone levels and their health effects to the public.This handbook was developed by EPA's EMPACT program. The program takes advantage of new technologies that make it possible to provide environmental information to the public in near real time. EMPACT is working with the 86 largest metropolitan areas of the country to help communities in these areas: Collect, manage and distribute time-relevant environmental information. Provide their residents with easy-to-understand information they can use in making informed, day-to-day decisions. Information

  20. Outreach and public service

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, Harold J.

    1990-01-01

    The Alabama Space Grant Consortium plan for outreach and public service is presented as a model for study and discussion. It is consistent with the objectives of the Space Grant Program and expresses a strong commitment to cooperation between academia, industry, and government.

  1. Education & Public Outreach | CTIO

    Science.gov Websites

    Apoyo de la Didáctica de la Astronomía" is a center for the support to the astronomy didactics . Public Outreach Astro Chile Is an EPO Program in charge of innovate in astronomy teaching. Robotic

  2. K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience

    PubMed Central

    Deal, Alex L.; Erickson, Kristen J.; Bilsky, Edward J.; Hillman, Susan J.; Burman, Michael A.

    2014-01-01

    The University of New England’s Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students’ academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we’ve organized our themes in a “Grow-up, Grow-out” approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students’ skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we’re having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general. PMID:25565921

  3. K-12 Neuroscience Education Outreach Program: Interactive Activities for Educating Students about Neuroscience.

    PubMed

    Deal, Alex L; Erickson, Kristen J; Bilsky, Edward J; Hillman, Susan J; Burman, Michael A

    2014-01-01

    The University of New England's Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences has developed a successful and growing K-12 outreach program that incorporates undergraduate and graduate/professional students. The program has several goals, including raising awareness about fundamental issues in neuroscience, supplementing science education in area schools and enhancing undergraduate and graduate/professional students' academic knowledge and skill set. The outreach curriculum is centered on core neuroscience themes including: Brain Safety, Neuroanatomy, Drugs of Abuse and Addiction, Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, and Cognition and Brain Function. For each theme, lesson plans were developed based upon interactive, small-group activities. Additionally, we've organized our themes in a "Grow-up, Grow-out" approach. Grow-up refers to returning to a common theme, increasing in complexity as we revisit students from early elementary through high school. Grow-out refers to integrating other scientific fields into our lessons, such as the chemistry of addiction, the physics of brain injury and neuronal imaging. One of the more successful components of our program is our innovative team-based model of curriculum design. By creating a team of undergraduate, graduate/professional students and faculty, we create a unique multi-level mentoring opportunity that appears to be successful in enhancing undergraduate students' skills and knowledge. Preliminary assessments suggest that undergraduates believe they are enhancing their content knowledge and professional skills through our program. Additionally, we're having a significant, short-term impact on K-12 interest in science. Overall, our program appears to be enhancing the academic experience of our undergraduates and exciting K-12 students about the brain and science in general.

  4. Back to the Drawing Board? Articulation and Outreach Revisited

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Melin, Charlotte

    2005-01-01

    Connections between high school and college-level German programs can be strengthened through a combination of curricular articulation and strategic outreach initiatives. This essay reviews approaches to articulation, examines promising outreach models, and offers guidelines for developing program-specific plans. An analysis of German program…

  5. 77 FR 69619 - Draft Recommendations of Joint Outreach Team

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-20

    ... Team AGENCY: Western Area Power Administration, DOE. ACTION: Notice of Availability of draft recommendations of Western/DOE Joint Outreach Team. SUMMARY: The Western Area Power Administration (Western), a... recommendations of the Western/DOE Joint Outreach Team (JOT) for review and comment by Western's customers, Tribes...

  6. Library outreach: addressing Utah's “Digital Divide”

    PubMed Central

    McCloskey, Kathleen M.

    2000-01-01

    A “Digital Divide” in information and technological literacy exists in Utah between small hospitals and clinics in rural areas and the larger health care institutions in the major urban area of the state. The goals of the outreach program of the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library at the University of Utah address solutions to this disparity in partnership with the National Network of Libraries of Medicine—Midcontinental Region, the Utah Department of Health, and the Utah Area Health Education Centers. In a circuit-rider approach, an outreach librarian offers classes and demonstrations throughout the state that teach information-access skills to health professionals. Provision of traditional library services to unaffiliated health professionals is integrated into the library's daily workload as a component of the outreach program. The paper describes the history, methodology, administration, funding, impact, and results of the program. PMID:11055305

  7. Outreach facilities within a research center

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zambon, V.; Thériault, G.; Poulin-Girard, A.-S.

    2012-10-01

    Worldwide, volunteers from student associations and non-profit organizations carry out outreach activities with high school students in their classrooms. Most of the time, these activities highlight optical phenomena but do not provide information about the reality of researchers in companies and universities. To address this issue, Université Laval's OSA and SPIE student chapters set up a demonstration laboratory dedicated to outreach, located in a research center. In this paper, we list the advantages of this type of facility as well as the steps leading to the creation of the laboratory, and we give an overview of the demonstration laboratory.

  8. Science Outreach in Virtual Globes; Best Practices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Treves, R. W.

    2007-12-01

    The popularity of projects such as 'Crisis in Darfur' and the IPY (International Polar Year) network link show the potential of using the rich functionality of Virtual Globes for science outreach purposes. However, the structure of outreach projects in Virtual Globes varies widely. Consider an analogy: If you pick up a science journal you immediately know where to find the contents page and what the title and cover story are meant to communicate. That is because journals have a well defined set of norms that they follow in terms of layout and design. Currently, science projects presented in virtual globes have, at best, weakly defined norms, there are little common structural elements beyond those imposed by the constraints of the virtual globe system. This is not a criticism of the science community, it is to be expected since norms take time to develop for any new technology. An example of the development of norms are pages on the web: when they first started appearing structure was unguided but over the last few years structural elements such as a left hand side navigation system and a bread crumb trail near the header have become common. In this paper I shall describe the developing norms of structure I have observed in one area of virtual globe development; Google Earth science outreach projects. These norms include text introductions, video introductions, use of folders and overlay presentation. I shall go on to examine how best to use these norms to build a clear and engaging outreach project and describe some cartographic best practices that we should also consider adopting as norms. I also will briefly explain why I think norms in science outreach aid creativity rather than limiting it despite the counter intuitive nature of this concept.

  9. Outreach and Education with Europlanet 2020 RI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heward, Anita R.; Barrosa, Mariana; Europlanet 2020 RI

    2016-10-01

    Since 2005, Europlanet has provided a framework to bring together Europe's widespread planetary science community. The project has evolved through a number of phases, and currently comprises a Research Infrastructure (RI) funded through the European Commission's Horizon 2020 program, as well as a self-sustaining membership organization. Launched in September 2015, Europlanet 2020 RI provides support, services, access to facilities, new research tools and a virtual planetary observatory. Europlanet 2020 RI's outreach and education program aims to engage members of the public, schools, teachers, policy makers and industrial partners across Europe with planetary science and the opportunities that it provides for innovation, inspiration and job creation. Europlanet's outreach and education activities are led by Science Office Ltd, a Portuguese-based SME, and a network of partners spread across nine countries including University College London, the University of Leiden, University of Latvia, Vilnius University, the Institute of Accelerating Systems and Applications, the Observatoire de Paris, CAB-INTA and the Austrian Space Forum.Europlanet supports educators and outreach providers within the planetary science community by organizing meetings, best practice workshops and communication training sessions, offering a seed-funding scheme for outreach activities, and awarding an annual prize for public engagement. Europlanet is also developing its own education and outreach resources, including an animation on 'Jupiter and its Icy Moons' (the first in a series of video "shorts") and kits for hands-on comparative planetology activities. The Europlanet Media Centre uses traditional and social media channels to communicate newsworthy results and activities to diverse audiences in Europe and worldwide. Using tools like Google Hangouts, the project connects planetary researchers directly with the public and school groups. In addition, Europlanet engages with policy makers in the

  10. 20 CFR 638.401 - Outreach and screening of participants.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Outreach and screening of participants. 638.401 Section 638.401 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR..., Terminations, and Placements in the Job Corps § 638.401 Outreach and screening of participants. In accordance...

  11. Outreach at Washington State University: a case study in costs and attendance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernhardt, Elizabeth A.; Bollen, Viktor; Bersano, Thomas M.; Mossman, Sean M.

    2016-09-01

    Making effective and efficient use of outreach resources can be difficult for student groups in smaller rural communities. Washington State University's OSA/SPIE student chapter desires well attended yet cost-effective ways to educate and inform the public. We designed outreach activities focused on three different funding levels: low upfront cost, moderate continuing costs, and high upfront cost with low continuing costs. By featuring our activities at well attended events, such as a pre-football game event, or by advertising a headlining activity, such as a laser maze, we take advantage of large crowds to create a relaxed learning atmosphere. Moreover, participants enjoy casual learning while waiting for a main event. Choosing a particular funding level and associating with well-attended events makes outreach easier. While there are still many challenges to outreach, such as motivating volunteers or designing outreach programs, we hope overcoming two large obstacles will lead to future outreach success.

  12. Outcomes for engineering students delivering a STEM education and outreach programme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fitzallen, Noleine; Brown, Natalie Ruth

    2017-11-01

    University science outreach programmes are used to encourage more school students to select science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in further education and pursue science-related careers. The benefits of science outreach programmes are often espoused from the perspective of programme participants. Little attention, however, is given to what university students delivering the programmes gain from the experience. This paper seeks to illustrate the benefits of engineering students delivering STEM outreach programmes in schools. It reports on a qualitative case study of the experiences of two STEM Education and Outreach team members from a regional university in Australia. Content analysis of interview data highlighted not only the participants' motivations and perceived benefits of being involved in the STEM programme but also revealed the skills and attributes honed throughout the experience. Involvement in the STEM outreach programme resulted in the development of social and personal responsibility generic graduate attribute skills, evidenced through their motivations to be involved, the demonstration of understanding of teaching and learning, and application of science communication skills. This study demonstrates that designing and delivering STEM outreach programmes assists in the development of skills that will be beneficial when pursuing careers in engineering in the future.

  13. Blogging in support of health information outreach.

    PubMed

    Sapp, Lara; Cogdill, Keith

    2010-07-01

    Social media technologies are transforming the way librarians are collaborating, creating, and disseminating information. This article discusses how librarians at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio created a blog to support their health information outreach activities. Launched in 2007, the Staying Well Connected blog was established with the goal of promoting access to biomedical and health information for consumers and health professionals in the South Texas region. Postings highlight relevant health news, conferences, funding opportunities, and outreach events.

  14. The Manager of Academic Outreach: A Role of Consequence to University Survival and Growth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Lawrence R.

    1977-01-01

    University managers of academic outreach need outstanding skills in communication, persuasion, and negotiation to win and maintain active faculty/administrator support for outreach activities. Failure to generate such support will make it impossible for outreach managers to deliver on the promise of the outreach concept. (Editor/LBH)

  15. Adoption, implementation and prioritization of specialist outreach policy in Australia: a national perspective.

    PubMed

    O'Sullivan, Belinda G; Joyce, Catherine M; McGrail, Matthew R

    2014-07-01

    The World Health Organization has endorsed the use of outreach to promote: efficient redeployment of the health-care workforce; continuity of care at the local level; and professional support for local, rural, health-care workers. Australia is the only country that has had, since 2000, a sustained national policy on outreach for subsidizing medical specialist outreach to rural areas. This paper describes the adoption, implementation and prioritization of a national specialist outreach policy in Australia. Adoption of the national policy followed a long history of successful outreach, largely driven by the professional interest and personal commitment of the workforce. Initially the policy supported only new outreach services but concerns about the sustainability of existing services resulted in eligibility for funding being extended to all specialist services. The costs of travel, travel time, accommodation, professional support, staff relief at specialists' primary practices and equipment hire were subsidized. Over time, a national political commitment to the equitable treatment of indigenous people resulted in more targeted support for outreach in remote areas. Current priorities are: (i) establishing team-based outreach services; (ii) improving local staff's skills; (iii) achieving local coordination; and (iv) conducting a nationally consistent needs assessment. The absence of subsidies for specialists' clinical work can discourage private specialists from providing services in remote areas where clinical throughput is low. To be successful, outreach policy must harmonize with the interests of the workforce and support professional autonomy. Internationally, the development of outreach policy must take account of the local pay and practice conditions of health workers.

  16. Adoption, implementation and prioritization of specialist outreach policy in Australia: a national perspective

    PubMed Central

    Joyce, Catherine M; McGrail, Matthew R

    2014-01-01

    Abstract The World Health Organization has endorsed the use of outreach to promote: efficient redeployment of the health-care workforce; continuity of care at the local level; and professional support for local, rural, health-care workers. Australia is the only country that has had, since 2000, a sustained national policy on outreach for subsidizing medical specialist outreach to rural areas. This paper describes the adoption, implementation and prioritization of a national specialist outreach policy in Australia. Adoption of the national policy followed a long history of successful outreach, largely driven by the professional interest and personal commitment of the workforce. Initially the policy supported only new outreach services but concerns about the sustainability of existing services resulted in eligibility for funding being extended to all specialist services. The costs of travel, travel time, accommodation, professional support, staff relief at specialists’ primary practices and equipment hire were subsidized. Over time, a national political commitment to the equitable treatment of indigenous people resulted in more targeted support for outreach in remote areas. Current priorities are: (i) establishing team-based outreach services; (ii) improving local staff’s skills; (iii) achieving local coordination; and (iv) conducting a nationally consistent needs assessment. The absence of subsidies for specialists’ clinical work can discourage private specialists from providing services in remote areas where clinical throughput is low. To be successful, outreach policy must harmonize with the interests of the workforce and support professional autonomy. Internationally, the development of outreach policy must take account of the local pay and practice conditions of health workers. PMID:25110376

  17. Incarcerated Veterans Outreach Program.

    PubMed

    Schaffer, Bradley J

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study is to identify and facilitate re-entry services for military veterans in the Criminal Justice System through the Incarcerated Veteran Outreach Program. Veterans are explored as a subgroup of the general inmate jail populations in southern Ohio based upon veteran's status, military discharges, service-related injuries, treatment needs, pre-release planning, and re-entry services. Veterans reported having psycho-social problems, diverse levels of criminality, criminogenic needs, and significant episodes of homelessness. A sample of 399 incarcerated veterans in state prison, county jails, and community corrections setting were identified and completed the psycho-social pre-release assessment. Their average age was 44.6; they were more likely to be White males, divorced, most honorably discharged, and were represented in the following eras: 34% Vietnam, 35% post-Vietnam, 26% Persian Gulf War, and 5% Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom. The findings encourage the development of a re-entry outreach model and strategies to prevent episodes of criminal recidivism.

  18. The Rural Outreach Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Coleman, Clarence D.

    2000-01-01

    The Rural Outreach Project was designed to increase the diversity of NASA's workforce by: 1) Conducting educational research designed to investigate the most effective strategies for expanding innovative, NASA-sponsored pre-college programs into rural areas; 2) Field-testing identified rural intervention strategies; 3) Implementing expanded NASA educational programs to include 300 rural students who are disabled, female and/or minority; and 4) Disseminating project strategies. The Project was a partnership that included NASA Langley Research Center's Office of Education, Norfolk State University, Cooperative Hampton Roads Organizations for Minorities in Engineering (CHROME) and Paul D. Camp Community College. There were four goals and activities identified for this project; 1) Ascertain effective strategies for expanding successful NASA-sponsored urban-based, pre-college programs into rural settings; 2) Field test identified rural intervention strategies; 3) Publish or disseminate two reports, concerning project research and activities at a national conference; 4) Provide educational outreach to 300, previously underserved, rural students who are disabled, female and /or minority.

  19. Community outreach: from measuring the difference to making a difference with health information*

    PubMed Central

    Ottoson, Judith M.; Green, Lawrence W.

    2005-01-01

    Background: Community-based outreach seeks to move libraries beyond their traditional institutional boundaries to improve both access to and effectiveness of health information. The evaluation of such outreach needs to involve the community in assessing the program's process and outcomes. Purpose: Evaluation of community-based library outreach programs benefits from a participatory approach. To explain this premise of the paper, three components of evaluation theory are paired with relevant participatory strategies. Concepts: The first component of evaluation theory is also a standard of program evaluation: use. Evaluation is intended to be useful for stakeholders to make decisions. A useful evaluation is credible, timely, and of adequate scope. Participatory approaches to increase use of evaluation findings include engaging end users early in planning the program itself and in deciding on the outcomes of the evaluation. A second component of evaluation theory seeks to understand what is being evaluated, such as specific aspects of outreach programs. A transparent understanding of the ways outreach achieves intended goals, its activities and linkages, and the context in which it operates precedes any attempt to measure it. Participatory approaches to evaluating outreach include having end users, such as health practitioners in other community-based organizations, identify what components of the outreach program are most important to their work. A third component of evaluation theory is concerned with the process by which value is placed on outreach. What will count as outreach success or failure? Who decides? Participatory approaches to valuing include assuring end-user representation in the formulation of evaluation questions and in the interpretation of evaluation results. Conclusions: The evaluation of community-based outreach is a complex process that is not made easier by a participatory approach. Nevertheless, a participatory approach is more likely to make

  20. A Comparative Study on Real Lab and Simulation Lab in Communication Engineering from Students' Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balakrishnan, B.; Woods, P. C.

    2013-01-01

    Over the years, rapid development in computer technology has engendered simulation-based laboratory (lab) in addition to the traditional hands-on (physical) lab. Many higher education institutions adopt simulation lab, replacing some existing physical lab experiments. The creation of new systems for conducting engineering lab activities has raised…

  1. Kinematic Labs with Mobile Devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kinser, Jason M.

    2015-07-01

    This book provides 13 labs spanning the common topics in the first semester of university-level physics. Each lab is designed to use only the student's smartphone, laptop and items easily found in big-box stores or a hobby shop. Each lab contains theory, set-up instructions and basic analysis techniques. All of these labs can be performed outside of the traditional university lab setting and initial costs averaging less than 8 per student, per lab.

  2. MethLAB

    PubMed Central

    Kilaru, Varun; Barfield, Richard T; Schroeder, James W; Smith, Alicia K

    2012-01-01

    Recent evidence suggests that DNA methylation changes may underlie numerous complex traits and diseases. The advent of commercial, array-based methods to interrogate DNA methylation has led to a profusion of epigenetic studies in the literature. Array-based methods, such as the popular Illumina GoldenGate and Infinium platforms, estimate the proportion of DNA methylated at single-base resolution for thousands of CpG sites across the genome. These arrays generate enormous amounts of data, but few software resources exist for efficient and flexible analysis of these data. We developed a software package called MethLAB (http://genetics.emory.edu/conneely/MethLAB) using R, an open source statistical language that can be edited to suit the needs of the user. MethLAB features a graphical user interface (GUI) with a menu-driven format designed to efficiently read in and manipulate array-based methylation data in a user-friendly manner. MethLAB tests for association between methylation and relevant phenotypes by fitting a separate linear model for each CpG site. These models can incorporate both continuous and categorical phenotypes and covariates, as well as fixed or random batch or chip effects. MethLAB accounts for multiple testing by controlling the false discovery rate (FDR) at a user-specified level. Standard output includes a spreadsheet-ready text file and an array of publication-quality figures. Considering the growing interest in and availability of DNA methylation data, there is a great need for user-friendly open source analytical tools. With MethLAB, we present a timely resource that will allow users with no programming experience to implement flexible and powerful analyses of DNA methylation data. PMID:22430798

  3. Science Education and Public Outreach Forums (SEPOF): Providing Coordination and Support for NASA's Science Mission Directorate Education and Outreach Programs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mendez, B. J.; Smith, D.; Shipp, S. S.; Schwerin, T. G.; Stockman, S. A.; Cooper, L. P.; Peticolas, L. M.

    2009-12-01

    NASA is working with four newly-formed Science Education and Public Outreach Forums (SEPOFs) to increase the overall coherence of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program. SEPOFs support the astrophysics, heliophysics, planetary and Earth science divisions of NASA SMD in three core areas: * E/PO Community Engagement and Development * E/PO Product and Project Activity Analysis * Science Education and Public Outreach Forum Coordination Committee Service. SEPOFs are collaborating with NASA and external science and education and outreach communities in E/PO on multiple levels ranging from the mission and non-mission E/PO project activity managers, project activity partners, and scientists and researchers, to front line agents such as naturalists/interpreters, teachers, and higher education faculty, to high level agents such as leadership at state education offices, local schools, higher education institutions, and professional societies. The overall goal for the SEPOFs is increased awareness, knowledge, and understanding of scientists, researchers, engineers, technologists, educators, product developers, and dissemination agents of best practices, existing NASA resources, and community expertise applicable to E/PO. By coordinating and supporting the NASA E/PO Community, the NASA/SEPOF partnerships will lead to more effective, sustainable, and efficient utilization of NASA science discoveries and learning experiences.

  4. Teachers' Perspectives on Online Virtual Labs vs. Hands-On Labs in High School Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bohr, Teresa M.

    This study of online science teachers' opinions addressed the use of virtual labs in online courses. A growing number of schools use virtual labs that must meet mandated laboratory standards to ensure they provide learning experiences comparable to hands-on labs, which are an integral part of science curricula. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the quality and effectiveness of high school virtual labs. The theoretical foundation was constructivism, as labs provide student-centered activities for problem solving, inquiry, and exploration of phenomena. The research questions focused on experienced teachers' perceptions of the quality of virtual vs. hands-on labs. Data were collected through survey questions derived from the lab objectives of The Next Generation Science Standards . Eighteen teachers rated the degree of importance of each objective and also rated how they felt virtual labs met these objectives; these ratings were reported using descriptive statistics. Responses to open-ended questions were few and served to illustrate the numerical results. Many teachers stated that virtual labs are valuable supplements but could not completely replace hands-on experiences. Studies on the quality and effectiveness of high school virtual labs are limited despite widespread use. Comprehensive studies will ensure that online students have equal access to quality labs. School districts need to define lab requirements, and colleges need to specify the lab experience they require. This study has potential to inspire positive social change by assisting science educators, including those in the local school district, in evaluating and selecting courseware designed to promote higher order thinking skills, real-world problem solving, and development of strong inquiry skills, thereby improving science instruction for all high school students.

  5. Participatory Evaluation as Educational Outreach: Working in Unsettling Times

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, Carol E.

    2007-01-01

    In the context of information and communication technologies in five Newfoundland coastal communities, this article deals with participatory research and outreach. Outreach in these communities, reeling from the near-collapse of the fishery and struggling to survive in a climate of neo-liberal restructuring, is considered to be a holistic…

  6. A Mobile Nanoscience and Electron Microscopy Outreach Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coffey, Tonya; Kelley, Kyle

    2013-03-01

    We have established a mobile nanoscience laboratory outreach program in Western NC that puts scanning electron microscopy (SEM) directly in the hands of K-12 students and the general public. There has been a recent push to develop new active learning materials to educate students at all levels about nanoscience and nanotechnology. Previous projects, such as Bugscope, nanoManipulator, or SPM Live! allowed remote access to advanced microscopies. However, placing SEM directly in schools has not often been possible because the cost and steep learning curve of these technologies were prohibitive, making this project quite novel. We have developed new learning modules for a microscopy outreach experience with a tabletop SEM (Hitachi TM3000). We present here an overview of our outreach and results of the assessment of our program to date.

  7. Beyond Outreach: Expanding the UCI Astronomy Outreach Program to New Heights

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smecker-Hane, T. A.; Mauzy-Melitz, D. K.; Hood, M. A.

    2010-08-01

    The Astronomy Outreach Program at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) has three major components: (1) tours of the UCI Observatory and visits to local K-12 classrooms that bring hands-on activities and telescopes into the local schools, (2) an annual Teacher's Workshop in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and (3) Visitor Nights at the Observatory for the general public that include lectures on astrophysics topics and star gazing with our telescopes. Here we describe the results of our year long partnership with Grade 3-12 teachers to expand the tour and classroom visit portion of our program. We developed curricula and survey tools for Grades 3, 5, and high school that addresses specific California State Science Content Standards and amplify the impact of our outreach visits to their classrooms and their tours of the UCI Observatory. We describe the lessons and hands-on activities developed for the curricula, report on the results of pre- and post-testing of the students to judge how much they learned and whether or not their attitudes about science have changed, and report on teachers' responses to the program. Many of the lessons and activities we developed are available on our website.

  8. Video Outreach Graduate Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rigas, Anthony L.

    The University of Idaho's video outreach graduate program is described. The program is designed to provide continuing education, credit courses, and graduate degree-granting programs anywhere in the state by producing these programs on video cassette and Betamax formats. Presently the Master of Engineering in electrical and Mechanical Engineering…

  9. TangoLab-2 Card Troubleshooting

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-10-17

    iss053e105442 (Oct. 17, 2017) --- Flight Engineer Mark Vande Hei swaps out a payload card from the TangoLab-1 facility and places into the TangoLab-2 facility. TangoLab provides a standardized platform and open architecture for experimental modules called CubeLabs. CubeLab modules may be developed for use in 3-dimensional tissue and cell cultures.

  10. A comparative study on real lab and simulation lab in communication engineering from students' perspectives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balakrishnan, B.; Woods, P. C.

    2013-05-01

    Over the years, rapid development in computer technology has engendered simulation-based laboratory (lab) in addition to the traditional hands-on (physical) lab. Many higher education institutions adopt simulation lab, replacing some existing physical lab experiments. The creation of new systems for conducting engineering lab activities has raised concerns among educators on the merits and shortcomings of both physical and simulation labs; at the same time, many arguments have been raised on the differences of both labs. Investigating the effectiveness of both labs is complicated, as there are multiple factors that should be considered. In view of this challenge, a study on students' perspectives on their experience related to key aspects on engineering laboratory exercise was conducted. In this study, the Visual Auditory Read and Kinetic model was utilised to measure the students' cognitive styles. The investigation was done through a survey among participants from Multimedia University, Malaysia. The findings revealed that there are significant differences for most of the aspects in physical and simulation labs.

  11. The Flexible Learning Lab

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cartier, Leslie C.

    2014-01-01

    Elementary school libraries are not often thought of as suitable spaces for learning commons because most elementary school libraries operate on a fixed schedule, allowing only one class at a time to use the space. Elementary school libraries are too often the drop-off location for a specific class during the classroom teacher's planning…

  12. A Constructivist Cloud Lab.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Emery, Dave

    1996-01-01

    Describes a lab involving a cloud formation activity that uses the constructivist learning model to get students more involved in creating the lab. Enables students to develop a greater understanding of the concepts involved and more interest in the lab's outcomes. (JRH)

  13. 76 FR 12757 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Vendor Outreach Session Information...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-08

    ... Request; Vendor Outreach Session Information Management System ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of... Outreach Session Information Management System. DATES: Submit comments on or before May 9, 2011. ADDRESSES... for women-owned small businesses. Accordingly, the Vendor Outreach Session Information Management...

  14. Outreach activities on light science and technology at TecnOpto-UMH during the International Year of Light

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sánchez-López, María. del Mar; García-Martínez, Pascuala; Espinosa, Rocío.; Carnicer, Jesús; Arias, Julia; Moreno, Ignacio

    2016-09-01

    TecnOpto is a group of researchers and teachers with interests in Optics and Photonics, located at the University Miguel Hernández (UMH) of Elche (Spain). Here we report on our outreach activities carried out during the International Year of Light - 2015. They include experiments and demonstrations at elementary and secondary schools, seminars and exhibitions at the university, and the activity named the "Classroom for the Experience", targeted to elder people. We also report on our participation in the science fair in Elche and in the launching of "the Room of Light", a complete new section of the MUDIC science museum devoted to light and optics. MUDIC is located in the UMH campus of Orihuela, and receives visitors from all over the region, mainly young students from elementary and secondary schools. Finally, we report on the exhibition "Women in Light Science and Light Technologies" which was organized by members of our group in collaboration with RSEF - the Spanish Royal Physical Society and SEDOPTICA - the Spanish Optical Society and sponsored by SPIE. This exhibition consisting of twelve posters on relevant women scientists was inaugurated in the XI Spanish Meeting on Optics and has travelled around many universities and cultural centers in Spain. A summary of the contents, participation and developing of all these activities is presented.

  15. Virtual Reality Lab Assistant

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Saha, Hrishikesh; Palmer, Timothy A.

    1996-01-01

    Virtual Reality Lab Assistant (VRLA) demonstration model is aligned for engineering and material science experiments to be performed by undergraduate and graduate students in the course as a pre-lab simulation experience. This will help students to get a preview of how to use the lab equipment and run experiments without using the lab hardware/software equipment. The quality of the time available for laboratory experiments can be significantly improved through the use of virtual reality technology.

  16. LabSkills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Brien, Nick

    2010-01-01

    This article describes LabSkills, a revolutionary teaching tool to improve practical science in schools. LabSkills offers the chance to help improve the exposure that the average Key Stage 5 (age 16-19) student has to practical work. This is a huge area for development being highlighted by universities who are seeing a worryingly growing trend in…

  17. Access to Knowledge. Volume 1. Preliminary Report of the Florida Commission on Educational Outreach and Service.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida Commission on Educational Outreach and Service, Tallahassee.

    Goals and objectives of a special commission on Educational Outreach and Services, in January 1975, were to assess Florida citizens' needs for educational outreach, to inventory existing outreach efforts, to determine outreach roles of various post-secondary institutions, to suggest improvements for the delivery of outreach, and to develop a plan…

  18. Overview of nuclear education and outreach program among Malaysian school students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sahar, Haizum Ruzanna; Masngut, Nasaai; Yusof, Mohd Hafizal; Ngadiron, Norzehan; Adnan, Habibah

    2017-01-01

    This paper gives an overview of nuclear education and outreach program conducted by Agensi Nuklear Malaysia (Nuklear Malaysia) throughout its operation and establishment. Since its foundation in 1972, Nuklear Malaysia has been the pioneer and is competent in the application of nuclear science and technology. Today, Nuklear Malaysia has ventured and eventually contributed into the development of various socio-economic sectors which include but not limited to medical, industry, manufacturing, agriculture, health, radiation safety and environment. This paper accentuates on the history of education and outreach program by Nuklear Malaysia, which include its timeline and evolution; as well as a brief on education and outreach program management, involvement of knowledge management as part of its approach and later the future of Nuklear Malaysia education and outreach program.

  19. Reasons why specialist doctors undertake rural outreach services: an Australian cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    O'Sullivan, Belinda G; McGrail, Matthew R; Stoelwinder, Johannes U

    2017-01-07

    The purpose of the study is to explore the reasons why specialist doctors travel to provide regular rural outreach services, and whether reasons relate to (1) salaried or private fee-for-service practice and (2) providing rural outreach services in more remote locations. A national cross-sectional study of specialist doctors from the Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) survey in 2014 was implemented. Specialists providing rural outreach services self-reported on a 5-point scale their level of agreement with five reasons for participating. Chi-squared analysis tested association between agreement and variables of interest. Of 567 specialists undertaking rural outreach services, reasons for participating include to grow the practice (54%), maintain a regional connection (26%), provide complex healthcare (18%), healthcare for disadvantaged people (12%) and support rural staff (6%). Salaried specialists more commonly participated to grow the practice compared with specialists in fee-for-service practice (68 vs 49%). This reason was also related to travelling further and providing outreach services in outer regional/remote locations. Private fee-for-service specialists more commonly undertook outreach services to provide complex healthcare (22 vs 14%). Specialist doctors undertake rural outreach services for a range of reasons, mainly to complement the growth and diversity of their main practice or maintain a regional connection. Structuring rural outreach around the specialist's main practice is likely to support participation and improve service distribution.

  20. Student perspectives on their recent dental outreach placement experiences.

    PubMed

    Smith, M; Lennon, M A; Brook, A H; Ritucci, L; Robinson, P G

    2006-05-01

    Dental schools are developing new curricula, with outreach placements enhancing the hospital-based training. To assess the students' experience of outreach as one component of determining the value and feasibility of outreach placements. Six-week block placements for 10 undergraduates and 3 weeks for 11 hygiene and hygiene and therapy students in existing primary care clinics, in areas of need, to work supervised by local dentists. Semi-structured interviews with 20 students by staff independent of the course team. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and content analysed before being verified by a second observer. Findings were triangulated against a peer-run focus group and students' clinical records. Students were very positive about their experience and the potential role of outreach training in dental education. They described: gaining greater experience of new types of patients and their communities; learning from broader clinical experience, alternative approaches and practicing or observing dentistry in different settings; the benefits of team working; and, acquiring a more holistic and pragmatic view of health care. Many students reported gaining greater confidence, wider awareness of potential careers in dentistry and a greater sense of realism in their experience. Some reflected on their own training needs. Students also discussed the importance of preparation for the placements and the merits of different styles of supervision. Dental outreach training can provide students with valuable learning experience in a range of areas. It requires careful management to ensure those experiences match individuals' needs and the programme's purposes.

  1. Perceptions of STEM-Based Outreach Learning Activities in Secondary Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vennix, J.; den Brok, P.; Taconis, R.

    2017-01-01

    We investigated and compared the learning environment perceptions of students, teachers and guides who participated in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)-based outreach activities in secondary education. In outreach activities, schools and teachers work together with companies and other external institutions in learning…

  2. 24 CFR 582.325 - Outreach activities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... (Continued) OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY FACILITIES SHELTER PLUS CARE Program Requirements § 582.325 Outreach...

  3. A Multi-Level Approach to Outreach for Geologic Sequestration Projects

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Greenberg, S.E.; Leetaru, H.E.; Krapac, I.G.; Hnottavange-Telleen, K.; Finley, R.J.

    2009-01-01

    Public perception of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects represents a potential barrier to commercialization. Outreach to stakeholders at the local, regional, and national level is needed to create familiarity with and potential acceptance of CCS projects. This paper highlights the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium (MGSC) multi-level outreach approach which interacts with multiple stakeholders. The MGSC approach focuses on external and internal communication. External communication has resulted in building regional public understanding of CCS. Internal communication, through a project Risk Assessment process, has resulted in enhanced team communication and preparation of team members for outreach roles. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Outreach Education Modules on Space Sciences in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, I.-Te; Tiger Liu, Jann-Yeng; Chen, Chao-Yen

    2013-04-01

    The Ionospheric Radio Science Laboratory (IRSL) at Institute of Space Science, National Central University in Taiwan has been conducting a program for public outreach educations on space science by giving lectures, organizing camps, touring exhibits, and experiencing hand-on experiments to elementary school, high school, and college students as well as general public since 1991. The program began with a topic of traveling/living in space, and was followed by space environment, space mission, and space weather monitoring, etc. and a series of course module and experiment (i.e. experiencing activity) module was carried out. For past decadal, the course modules have been developed to cover the space environment of the Sun, interplanetary space, and geospace, as well as the space technology of the rocket, satellite, space shuttle (plane), space station, living in space, observing the Earth from space, and weather observation. Each course module highlights the current status and latest new finding as well as discusses 1-3 key/core issues/concepts and equip with 2-3 activity/experiment modules to make students more easily to understand the topics/issues. Meanwhile, scientific camps are given to lead students a better understanding and interesting on space science. Currently, a visualized image projecting system, Dagik Earth, is developed to demonstrate the scientific results on a sphere together with the course modules. This system will dramatically improve the educational skill and increase interests of participators.

  5. Teen Outreach. [An Overview.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Association of School Administrators, Arlington, VA.

    This document contains a variety of materials from the Teen Outreach program, a school-based program begun by the Junior League of St. Louis (Missouri) and designed to decrease the incidence of teenage pregnancy and increase the number of at-risk teenagers who successfully complete their high school education. It is noted that Teen Outreach…

  6. NAI Education and Public Outreach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grymes, Rose; Tsairides, Catherine

    2000-01-01

    The NAI's Education and Public Outreach Office is committed to building a strong partnership with each member institute to develop a comprehensive interest in educating the public and global community on the activities of the institute and the field of Astrobiology.

  7. Mars Robotics in the Elementary School

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonett, D.

    2003-05-01

    Kenneth E. Little Elementary is a public school grades Pre-K to 5th in Bacliff, Texas. It has an ethnically diverse population of one-thousand boys and girls. It is a Title 1 school with eighty-six percent of the students receiving free or reduced meals. K.E. Little has a large at-risk population with a thirty-three percent transition rate. The Young Astronauts @ K.E. Little is an on-going afterschool space science program in it's third year of operation. Thirty students,fourth and fifth grade, were involved in our spring robotics program. Each co-operative group was assigned a LEGO robotics kit to inventory,organize, and familiarize themselves with. Each team made decisions, by consensus, concerning the robots design and capabilities. Students used the Dell Computer Lab on campus to program their robots. Although time did not permit the construction of a simulated Martian landscape, future Young Astronauts will continue this project in January 2004.

  8. STEM Outreach Activities: An Approach to Teachers' Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aslam, Farzana; Adefila, Arinola; Bagiya, Yamuna

    2018-01-01

    STEM outreach programmes in secondary schools are mediated by STEM teachers who are responsible for organising, implementing and evaluating the activities with a view to promoting STEM subjects. However, research investigating teachers' STEM roles and professional development through participation in outreach activities is limited. This paper…

  9. Outreach activities in support of the Missouri S&T national UTC.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-02-01

    This report describes a comprehensive initiative providing outreach for the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) National University Transportation Center (NUTC). The goal of this comprehensive outreach program was to provide ...

  10. Rural outreach by specialist doctors in Australia: a national cross-sectional study of supply and distribution.

    PubMed

    O'Sullivan, Belinda G; Joyce, Catherine M; McGrail, Matthew R

    2014-09-04

    Outreach has been endorsed as an important global strategy to promote universal access to health care but it depends on health workers who are willing to travel. In Australia, rural outreach is commonly provided by specialist doctors who periodically visit the same community over time. However information about the level of participation and the distribution of these services nationally is limited. This paper outlines the proportion of Australian specialist doctors who participate in rural outreach, describes their characteristics and assesses how these characteristics influence remote outreach provision. We used data from the Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) survey, collected between June and November 2008. Weighted logistic regression analyses examined the effect of covariates: sex, age, specialist residential location, rural background, practice arrangements and specialist group on rural outreach. A separate logistic regression analysis studied the effect of covariates on remote outreach compared with other rural outreach. Of 4,596 specialist doctors, 19% (n = 909) provided outreach; of which, 16% (n = 149) provided remote outreach. Most (75%) outreach providers were metropolitan specialists. In multivariate analysis, outreach was associated with being male (OR 1.38, 1.12 to 1.69), having a rural residence (both inner regional: OR 2.07, 1.68 to 2.54; and outer regional/remote: OR 3.40, 2.38 to 4.87) and working in private consulting rooms (OR 1.24, 1.01 to 1.53). Remote outreach was associated with increasing 5-year age (OR1.17, 1.05 to 1.31) and residing in an outer regional/remote location (OR 10.84, 5.82 to 20.19). Specialists based in inner regional areas were less likely than metropolitan-based specialists to provide remote outreach (OR 0.35, 0.17 to 0.70). There is a healthy level of interest in rural outreach work, but remote outreach is less common. Whilst most providers are metropolitan-based, rural doctors are more

  11. Outreach Realty Servicing, LLC Information Sheet

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Outreach Realty Servicing, LLC (the Company) is located in New Haven, Connecticut. The settlement involves renovation activities conducted at property constructed prior to 1978, located in New Haven, Connecticut.

  12. Promoting Strategic STEM Education Outreach Programming Using a Systems-Based STEM-EO Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Annmarie R.

    2015-01-01

    In this paper a STEM Education Outreach (STEM-EO) Model for promoting strategic university outreach programming at Penn State University to the benefit of university, school district and community stakeholders is described. The model considers STEM-EO as a complex system involving overarching learning goals addressed within four outreach domains…

  13. The International Heliophysical Year Education and Outreach Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rabello-Soares, M.; Morrow, C.; Thompson, B.

    2006-12-01

    The International Heliophysical Year (IHY) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) and will continue its tradition of international research collaboration. The term "heliophysical" is an extension of the term "geophysical", where the Earth, Sun & Solar System are studied not as separate domains but through the universal processes governing the heliosphere. IHY represents a logical next-step, extending the studies into the heliosphere and thus including the drivers of geophysical change. The main goal of IHY Education and Outreach Program is to create more global access to exemplary resources in space and earth science education and public outreach. By taking advantage of the IHY organization with representatives in every nation and in the partnership with the United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI), we aim to promote new international partnerships. Our goal is to assist in increasing the visibility and accessibility of exemplary programs and in the identification of formal or informal educational products that would be beneficial to improve the space and earth science knowledge in a given country; leaving a legacy of enhanced global access to resources and of world-wide connectivity between those engaged in education and public outreach efforts that are related to IHY science. Here we describe the IHY Education and Outreach Program, how to participate and the benefits in doing so. ~

  14. Outreach Schools: An Educational Innovation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Housego, Billie E. J.

    1999-01-01

    Interviews and surveys of 13 teachers and staff and 213 students from four successful Canadian "outreach schools" found that the characteristics of alternative education that contribute to its success are volunteerism, small size, egalitarianism, a caring attitude, participatory decision making, organizational flexibility, individualized…

  15. New Outreach Initiatives at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zwicker, Andrew; Dominguez, Arturo; Greco, Shannon; Ortiz, Deedee; Delooper, John

    2015-11-01

    In FY15, PPPL concentrated its efforts on a portfolio of outreach activities centered around plasma science and fusion energy that have the potential to reach a large audience and have a significant and measurable impact. The overall goal of these outreach activities is to expose the public (within New Jersey, the US and the world) to the Department of Energy's scientific endeavors and specifically to PPPL's research regarding fusion and plasma science. The projects include several new activities along with upgrades to existing ones. The new activities include the development of outreach demos for the plasma physics community and the upgrade of the Internet Plasma Physics Experience (IPPEX). Our first plasma demo is a low cost DC glow discharge, suitable for tours as well as for student laboratories (plasma breakdown, spectroscopy, probes). This has been field tested in a variety of classes and events. The upgrade to the IPPEX web site includes a new template and a new interactive virtual tokamak. Future work on IPPEX will provide users limited access to data from NSTX-U. Finally, our Young Women's Conference was expanded and improved. These and other new outreach activities will be presented.

  16. Sustainable dual-use labs: neurovascular interventional capabilities within the cath lab.

    PubMed

    Lang, Stacey

    2012-01-01

    The inclusion of neurovascular interventional capabilities within the cath lab setting can be key to optimal utilization of resources, increased staff efficiency, and streamlined operations. When considering an expansion, look beyond the patient population traditionally associated with cardiac cath labs and consider the integration of programs outside cardiac alone--to create a true dual-use lab space. With proper planning, quality dual purpose equipment, appropriately trained staff, capable physicians, and strong leadership, an organization willing to embrace the challenge can build a truly extraordinary service.

  17. Describing Elementary Certification Methods across the Elementary Music Career Cycle

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Svec, Christina L.

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to describe elementary music method choice and certification method choice overall and across the elementary music career cycle. Participants (N = 254) were categorized as Level I or Elementary Division in a southwestern music education association database. The questionnaire included 25 four-point Likert-type items…

  18. Do published studies of educational outreach provide documentation of potentially important characteristics?

    PubMed

    Van Hoof, Thomas J; Miller, Nicole E; Meehan, Thomas P

    2013-01-01

    Educational outreach is a common intervention used to translate research findings into practice; however, the intervention has a mixed effect on changing clinician behavior and improving patient outcomes. Based on a published set of characteristics aimed at standardizing the approach to educational outreach, the authors undertook a careful review of the literature to determine the consistency and completeness of documentation. Using a 25-item abstraction tool, the authors reviewed 68 published studies of a recent Cochrane meta-analysis to determine the extent to which educational outreach studies provide recommended documentation of important characteristics. The results indicate that studies are generally inconsistent (documentation range of 0% to 100% across characteristics) and incomplete (documentation average of 43.1% across studies) in their descriptions. Documentation shortcomings of educational outreach studies make understanding the intervention and interpreting its findings particularly challenging. The authors recommend the creation of a guideline to help improve documentation of educational outreach efforts.

  19. Revealing the Universe to Our Community: NMSU's Society of Astronomy Students' Dedication to Public Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maldonado, Mercedes; Rees, S.; Medina, A.; Beasley, D.; Campos, A.; Chanover, N. J.; Uckert, K.; McKeever, J.

    2014-01-01

    The New Mexico State University (NMSU) Society of Astronomy Students (SAS) is an undergraduate organization centered on students’ passions for learning and sharing knowledge about the field of astronomy. The SAS strives to become one of the most active clubs on the NMSU campus by their involvement in both astronomy and non-astronomy related public outreach and community service events. NMSU is located in Las Cruces, NM, where Clyde Tombaugh made great contributions both to the field of astronomy and to our local community. He was able to spark the community's interest in astronomy and science in general; this is an aspect of his career that the SAS strives to emulate. To do this, the SAS participates in community outreach events with the goal of stimulating curiosity and providing opportunities for the public to observe and understand exciting phenomenon occurring in our universe. With help from the NMSU Astronomy Department, the SAS is able to volunteer alongside the Astronomy Graduate Student Organization (AGSO) at events for people of all ages. Working jointly with the AGSO allows us to be mentored by the very students who were in our shoes not long ago; they educate us about the wonders of the universe, just as we wish to educate the community. This provides an enlightening and enriching environment for both club and community members. The NMSU Astronomy Department hosts events for the entire community, such as observing nights held at Tombaugh Observatory — which SAS members attend and help advertise — where community members learn about and view objects in the night sky through telescopes. SAS members assist with field trips where local middle and elementary school students attend presentations and participate in astronomy-related activities on the NMSU campus. These hands-on activities are presented in an understandable way, and are meant to increase appreciation for all of the exciting subjects our universe has to offer. Other outreach events include

  20. Subsidies to target specialist outreach services into more remote locations: a national cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    O'Sullivan, Belinda G; McGrail, Matthew R; Stoelwinder, Johannes U

    2017-07-01

    Objective Targeting rural outreach services to areas of highest relative need is challenging because of the higher costs it imposes on health workers to travel longer distances. This paper studied whether subsidies have the potential to support the provision of specialist outreach services into more remote locations. Methods National data about subsidies for medical specialist outreach providers as part of the Wave 7 Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) Survey in 2014. Results Nearly half received subsidies: 19% (n=110) from a formal policy, namely the Australian Government Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF), and 27% (n=154) from other sources. Subsidised specialists travelled for longer and visited more remote locations relative to the non-subsidised group. In addition, compared with non-subsidised specialists, RHOF-subsidised specialists worked in priority areas and provided equally regular services they intended to continue, despite visiting more remote locations. Conclusion This suggests the RHOF, although limited to one in five specialist outreach providers, is important to increase targeted and stable outreach services in areas of highest relative need. Other subsidies also play a role in facilitating remote service distribution, but may need to be more structured to promote regular, sustained outreach practice. What is known about this topic? There are no studies describing subsidies for specialist doctors to undertake rural outreach work and whether subsidies, including formal and structured subsidies via the Australian Government RHOF, support targeted outreach services compared with no financial support. What does this paper add? Using national data from Australia, we describe subsidisation among specialist outreach providers and show that specialists subsidised via the RHOF or another source are more likely to provide remote outreach services. What are the implications for practitioners? Subsidised specialist outreach providers are

  1. Lab at Home: Hardware Kits for a Digital Design Lab

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oliver, J. P.; Haim, F.

    2009-01-01

    An innovative laboratory methodology for an introductory digital design course is presented. Instead of having traditional lab experiences, where students have to come to school classrooms, a "lab at home" concept is proposed. Students perform real experiments in their own homes, using hardware kits specially developed for this purpose. They…

  2. Extreme Urban Stargazing: Outreach in New York City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kendall, Jason S.

    2013-01-01

    There is a fundamental need for the professional community to cultivate and nurture active relationships with amateur organizations. The rewards of such work are highly beneficial to general public education and town-gown relations, but are time-consuming and hard-won. New York City and the surrounding area is both ideally suited and unambiguously ill-suited for astronomy public outreach. I will detail the results of three major outreach efforts in coordination with the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York. I will highlight large public-space observing in the context of the Transit of Venus and star parties at other locations. I will also outline outreach efforts at William Paterson University, where two public nights and a Curiosity EDL event created a clear impact in Northern New Jersey. I will detail methods for encouraging and bringing out amateur observers to events, urban crowd management, publicity issues, and the benefits and pitfalls of social media in the promotion and execution of large-scale and moderate events.

  3. Outreach services in healthcare libraries: perceptions and impacts.

    PubMed

    Dorset, Rebecca

    2014-03-01

    Outreach services are becoming more prevalent throughout the health library sector both in the UK and abroad, and they have the potential to impact on information support for evidence-based medicine. This article reports on a study which explored the perceptions of UK health library staff about the term 'outreach' and demonstrated that a variety of services are being offered under this umbrella term. Whilst practitioners are also divided over the impact of outreach services, many of them see this as key to future service developments. The study was completed by Rebecca Dorsett as part of her MSc in Information and Library Management at Northumbria University. She was supervised by Sue Childs and graduated in 2012 with a Distinction. Rebecca is now due to commence a new role as Information Support Officer for the Ministry of Defence. AM. © 2014 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2014 Health Libraries Group.

  4. The National Library of Medicine's Native American outreach portfolio: a descriptive overview*

    PubMed Central

    Wood, Frederick B.; Siegel, Elliot R.; Dutcher, Gale A.; Ruffin, Angela; Logan, Robert A.; Scott, John C.

    2005-01-01

    Objectives: This paper provides the most complete accounting of the National Library of Medicine's (NLM's) Native outreach since 1995, when there were only a few scattered projects. Method: The descriptive overview is based on a review of project reports, inventories, and databases and input from the NLM Specialized Information Services Division, National Network Office of the Library Operations Division, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and Office of Health Information Programs Development of the Office of the NLM Director. The overview focuses on NLM-supported or sponsored outreach initiatives involving Native peoples: American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. Results: The review of NLM's relevant activities resulted in a portfolio of projects that clustered naturally into the following areas: major multisite projects: Tribal Connections and related, Native American Information Internship Project: Sacred Root, tribal college outreach and tribal librarianship projects, collaboration with inter-tribal and national organizations, participation in Native American Powwows, Native American Listening Circle Project, Native American Health Information, and other Native American outreach projects. Implications: NLM's Native American Outreach reached programmatic status as of late 2004. The companion paper identifies several areas of possible new or enhanced Native outreach activities. Both papers highlight the importance of solid reporting and evaluation to optimize project results and programmatic balance and priorities. PMID:16239955

  5. The National Library of Medicine's Native American outreach portfolio: a descriptive overview.

    PubMed

    Wood, Frederick B; Siegel, Elliot R; Dutcher, Gale A; Ruffin, Angela; Logan, Robert A; Scott, John C

    2005-10-01

    This paper provides the most complete accounting of the National Library of Medicine's (NLM's) Native outreach since 1995, when there were only a few scattered projects. The descriptive overview is based on a review of project reports, inventories, and databases and input from the NLM Specialized Information Services Division, National Network Office of the Library Operations Division, National Network of Libraries of Medicine, and Office of Health Information Programs Development of the Office of the NLM Director. The overview focuses on NLM-supported or sponsored outreach initiatives involving Native peoples: American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. The review of NLM's relevant activities resulted in a portfolio of projects that clustered naturally into the following areas: major multisite projects: Tribal Connections and related, Native American Information Internship Project: Sacred Root, tribal college outreach and tribal librarianship projects, collaboration with inter-tribal and national organizations, participation in Native American Powwows, Native American Listening Circle Project, Native American Health Information, and other Native American outreach projects. NLM's Native American Outreach reached programmatic status as of late 2004. The companion paper identifies several areas of possible new or enhanced Native outreach activities. Both papers highlight the importance of solid reporting and evaluation to optimize project results and programmatic balance and priorities.

  6. LCOGT Imaging Lab

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tufts, Joseph R.; Lobdill, Rich; Haldeman, Benjamin J.; Haynes, Rachel; Hawkins, Eric; Burleson, Ben; Jahng, David

    2008-07-01

    The Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) is an ambitious project to build and operate, within 5 years, a worldwide robotic network of 50 0.4, 1, and 2 m telescopes sharing identical instrumentation and optimized for precision photometry of time-varying sources. The telescopes, instrumentation, and software are all developed in house with two 2 m telescopes already installed. The LCOGT Imaging Lab is responsible for assembly and characterization of the network's cameras and instrumentation. In addition to a fully equipped CNC machine shop, two electronics labs, and a future optics lab, the Imaging Lab is designed from the ground up to be a superb environment for bare detectors, precision filters, and assembled instruments. At the heart of the lab is an ISO class 5 cleanroom with full ionization. Surrounding this, the class 7 main lab houses equipment for detector characterization including QE and CTE, and equipment for measuring transmission and reflection of optics. Although the first science cameras installed, two TEC cooled e2v 42-40 deep depletion based units and two CryoTiger cooled Fairchild Imaging CCD486-BI based units, are from outside manufacturers, their 18 position filter wheels and the remainder of the network's science cameras, controllers, and instrumentation will be built in house. Currently being designed, the first generation LCOGT cameras for the network's 1 m telescopes use existing CCD486-BI devices and an in-house controller. Additionally, the controller uses digital signal processing to optimize readout noise vs. speed, and all instrumentation uses embedded microprocessors for communication over ethernet.

  7. Elementary Mathematics Leaders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fennell, Francis; Kobett, Beth McCord; Wray, Jonathan A.

    2013-01-01

    Elementary school mathematics leaders often come to the realization that their position, however titled and determined, although dedicated to addressing needs in math teaching and learning, also entails and directly involves leadership. Elementary school math specialists/instructional leaders (referenced here as elementary mathematics leaders, or…

  8. Inexpensive DAQ based physics labs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lewis, Benjamin; Clark, Shane

    2015-11-01

    Quality Data Acquisition (DAQ) based physics labs can be designed using microcontrollers and very low cost sensors with minimal lab equipment. A prototype device with several sensors and documentation for a number of DAQ-based labs is showcased. The device connects to a computer through Bluetooth and uses a simple interface to control the DAQ and display real time graphs, storing the data in .txt and .xls formats. A full device including a larger number of sensors combined with software interface and detailed documentation would provide a high quality physics lab education for minimal cost, for instance in high schools lacking lab equipment or students taking online classes. An entire semester’s lab course could be conducted using a single device with a manufacturing cost of under $20.

  9. Astronomy Outreach for Large and Unique Audiences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lubowich, D.; Sparks, R. T.; Pompea, S. M.; Kendall, J. S.; Dugan, C.

    2013-04-01

    In this session, we discuss different approaches to reaching large audiences. In addition to star parties and astronomy events, the audiences for some of the events include music concerts or festivals, sick children and their families, minority communities, American Indian reservations, and tourist sites such as the National Mall. The goal is to bring science directly to the public—to people who attend astronomy events and to people who do not come to star parties, science museums, or science festivals. These programs allow the entire community to participate in astronomy activities to enhance the public appreciation of science. These programs attract large enthusiastic crowds often with young children participating in these family learning experiences. The public will become more informed, educated, and inspired about astronomy and will also be provided with information that will allow them to continue to learn after this outreach activity. Large and unique audiences often have common problems, and their solutions and the lessons learned will be presented. Interaction with the participants in this session will provide important community feedback used to improve astronomy outreach for large and unique audiences. New ways to expand astronomy outreach to new large audiences will be discussed.

  10. Stennis outreach

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2012-09-12

    Stennis Space Center visited three Mississippi communities Sept. 11-13, offering interactive and space-related exhibits and presentations to visitors in Grenada, Oxford and Tupelo. In Grenada on Sept. 12, Stennis Office of External Affairs Manager Pam Covington spoke to a student assembly at Grenada Upper Elementary School.

  11. The emergence of ethical issues in the provision of online sexual health outreach for gay, bisexual, two-spirit and other men who have sex with men: perspectives of online outreach workers.

    PubMed

    Fantus, Sophia; Souleymanov, Rusty; Lachowsky, Nathan J; Brennan, David J

    2017-11-03

    Mobile applications and socio-sexual networking websites are used by outreach workers to respond synchronously to questions and provide information, resources, and referrals on sexual health and STI/HIV prevention, testing, and care to gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GB2M). This exploratory study examined ethical issues identified by online outreach workers who conduct online sexual health outreach for GB2M. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted between November 2013 and April 2014 with online providers and managers (n = 22) to explore the benefits, challenges, and ethical implications of delivering online outreach services in Ontario, Canada. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analyses were conducted, and member-checking, analyses by multiple coders, and peer debriefing supported validity and reliability. Four themes emerged on the ethical queries of providing online sexual health outreach for GB2M: (a) managing personal and professional boundaries with clients; (b) disclosing personal or identifiable information to clients; (c) maintaining client confidentiality and anonymity; and (d) security and data storage measures of online information. Participants illustrated familiarity with potential ethical challenges, and discussed ways in which they seek to mitigate and prevent ethical conflict. Implications of this analysis for outreach workers, researchers, bioethicists, and policy-makers are to: (1) understand ethical complexities associated with online HIV prevention and outreach for GB2M; (2) foster dialogue to recognize and address potential ethical conflict; and (3) identify competencies and skills to mitigate risk and promote responsive and accessible online HIV outreach.

  12. MatLab Script and Functional Programming

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shaykhian, Gholam Ali

    2007-01-01

    MatLab Script and Functional Programming: MatLab is one of the most widely used very high level programming languages for scientific and engineering computations. It is very user-friendly and needs practically no formal programming knowledge. Presented here are MatLab programming aspects and not just the MatLab commands for scientists and engineers who do not have formal programming training and also have no significant time to spare for learning programming to solve their real world problems. Specifically provided are programs for visualization. The MatLab seminar covers the functional and script programming aspect of MatLab language. Specific expectations are: a) Recognize MatLab commands, script and function. b) Create, and run a MatLab function. c) Read, recognize, and describe MatLab syntax. d) Recognize decisions, loops and matrix operators. e) Evaluate scope among multiple files, and multiple functions within a file. f) Declare, define and use scalar variables, vectors and matrices.

  13. Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP), will provide technical assistance to small businesses through the contribution of time and expertise from Space Alliance Partners and support the development and expansion of technology business incubation programs in Florida and New York. A summary of these accomplishments are given.

  14. Charlotte Circle Outreach. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Calhoun, Mary Lynne; Rose, Terry L.; Prendergast, Donna

    This final report details the activities of the Charlotte Circle Outreach, a program designed to provide technical assistance and training to early intervention programs offering services to infants and young children with substantial disabilities, ages birth through two years. This mission was accomplished through cooperative planning with…

  15. Twelve Years of Education and Public Outreach with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cominsky, Lynn R.; McLin, K. M.; Simonnet, A.; Fermi E/PO Team

    2013-04-01

    During the past twelve years, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has supported a wide range of Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) activities, targeting K-14 students and the general public. The purpose of the Fermi E/PO program is to increase student and public understanding of the science of the high-energy Universe, through inspiring, engaging and educational activities linked to the mission’s science objectives. The E/PO program has additional more general goals, including increasing the diversity of students in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pipeline, and increasing public awareness and understanding of Fermi science and technology. Fermi's multi-faceted E/PO program includes elements in each major outcome category: ● Higher Education: Fermi E/PO promotes STEM careers through the use of NASA data including research experiences for students and teachers (Global Telescope Network), education through STEM curriculum development projects (Cosmology curriculum) and through enrichment activities (Large Area Telescope simulator). ● Elementary and Secondary education: Fermi E/PO links the science objectives of the Fermi mission to well-tested, customer-focused and NASA-approved standards-aligned classroom materials (Black Hole Resources, Active Galaxy Education Unit and Pop-up book, TOPS guides, Supernova Education Unit). These materials have been distributed through (Educator Ambassador and on-line) teacher training workshops and through programs involving under-represented students (after-school clubs and Astro 4 Girls). ● Informal education and public outreach: Fermi E/PO engages the public in sharing the experience of exploration and discovery through high-leverage multi-media experiences (Black Holes planetarium and PBS NOVA shows), through popular websites (Gamma-ray Burst Skymap, Epo's Chronicles), social media (Facebook, MySpace), interactive web-based activities (Space Mysteries, Einstein@Home) and activities by

  16. Educational Outreach at CASPER

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hyde, Truell; Smith, Bernard; Carmona-Reyes, Jorge

    2007-11-01

    The CASPER Educational Outreach program with support from the Department of Education, the Department of Labor and the National Science Foundation advances physics education through a variety of avenues including CASPER's REU / RET program, High School Scholars Program, spiral curriculum development program and the CASPER Physics Circus. These programs impact K-12 teachers and students providing teachers with curriculum, supporting hands-on material and support for introducing plasma and basic physical science into the classroom. The most visible of the CASPER outreach programs is the Physics Circus, created during the 1999-2000 school year and funded since that time through two large grants from the Department of Education. The Physics Circus is part of GEAR UP Waco (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) and was originally one of 185 grants awarded nationwide by the U. S. Department of Education in 1999 to help 200,000 disadvantaged children prepare for and gain a pathway to undergraduate programs. The CASPER Physics Circus is composed of intense science explorations, physics demonstrations, hands-on interactive displays, theatrical performances, and excellent teaching experiences. Examples and efficacy data from the above will be discussed.

  17. Experiences with lab-centric instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Titterton, Nathaniel; Lewis, Colleen M.; Clancy, Michael J.

    2010-06-01

    Lab-centric instruction emphasizes supervised, hands-on activities by substituting lab for lecture time. It combines a multitude of pedagogical techniques into the format of an extended, structured closed lab. We discuss the range of benefits for students, including increased staff interaction, frequent and varied self-assessments, integrated collaborative activities, and a systematic sequence of activities that gradually increases in difficulty. Instructors also benefit from a deeper window into student progress and understanding. We follow with discussion of our experiences in courses at U.C. Berkeley, and using data from some of these investigate the effects of lab-centric instruction on student learning, procrastination, and course pacing. We observe that the lab-centric format helped students on exams but hurt them on extended programming assignments, counter to our hypothesis. Additionally, we see no difference in self-ratings of procrastination and limited differences in ratings of course pace. We do find evidence that the students who choose to attend lab-centric courses are different in several important ways from students who choose to attend the same course in a non-lab-centric format.

  18. Astronomy Outreach for Special Needs Children

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lubowich, D.

    2008-06-01

    While there are many outreach programs for the public and for children, there are few programs for special needs children. I describe a NASA-STScI-IDEAS funded outreach program I created for children using a telescope (including remote and robotic observations), hands-on astronomy demonstrations (often with edible ingredients). The target audience is seriously ill children with special medical needs and their families who are staying at the Long Island Ronald McDonald House in conjunction the children's surgery and medical treatments at local hospitals. These educational activities help children and their families learn about astronomy while providing a diversion to take their minds off their illness during a stressful time. A related program for hospitalized children has been started at the Hagedorn Pediatric Inpatient Center at Winthrop University Hospital.

  19. EarthLabs: A National Model for Earth Science Lab Courses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McDaris, J. R.; Dahlman, L.; Barstow, D.

    2008-12-01

    As a response to the need for more rigorous, inquiry-based high school Earth science courses, a coalition of scientists, educators, and five states have created EarthLabs, a set of pilot modules that can serve as a national model for lab-based science courses. The content of EarthLabs chapters focuses on Earth system science and environmental literacy and conforms to the National Science Education Standards as well as the states' curriculum frameworks. The effort is funded by NOAA's Environmental Literacy program. The pilot modules present activities on Corals, Drought, Fisheries, and Hurricanes. The Fisheries and Hurricanes units were reviewed and field-tested by educators in Texas and Arizona. The feedback from this evaluation led to revisions of these units and guided development of the Corals and Drought chapters. Each module consists of activities that use online data sets, satellite imagery, web-based readings, and hands-on laboratory experiments. The project comprises two separate websites, one for the instructor and one for students. The instructor's site contains the pedagogical underpinnings for each lab including teaching materials, assessment strategies, and the alignment of activities with state and national science standards. The student site provides access to all materials that students need to complete the activities or, in the case of the hands-on labs, where they access additional information to help extend their learning. There are also formative and summative questions embedded in the student webpages to help scaffold learning through the activities.

  20. Positioning a University Outreach Center: Strategies for Support and Continuation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skivington, Kristen D.

    1998-01-01

    Argues that a strong case can be made for supporting outreach as a value-added function in a university. Specific strategies for positioning outreach within the university by developing a power base are outlined. The case of the University of Michigan-Flint is offered as an example of this approach. Seven lessons learned in the process are noted.…

  1. Developing STEM Leaders Through Space Science Education and Public Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gibbs, M. G.; Veenstra, D.

    2012-08-01

    Capitol College, located in Laurel, Maryland, established the Center for Space Science Education and Public Outreach with the mission to assist in educating future leaders in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This presentation shares emerging best practices through innovative methods to create awareness regarding STEM outreach programs and activities related workforce development and career pathways.

  2. Improving the Quality of Lab Reports by Using Them as Lab Instructions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haagen-Schuetzenhoefer, Claudia

    2012-10-01

    Lab exercises are quite popular in teaching science. Teachers have numerous goals in mind when teaching science laboratories. Nevertheless, empirical research draws a heterogeneous picture of the benefits of lab work. Research has shown that it does not necessarily contribute to the enhancement of practical abilities or content knowledge. Lab activities are frequently based on recipe-like, step-by-step instructions ("cookbook style"), which do not motivate students to engage cognitively. Consequently, students put the emphasis on "task completion" or "manipulating equipment."2

  3. Mississippi Valley State University educational outreach

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2009-07-15

    Pat Gaspard, a visitor relations specialist with NASA's StenniSphere visitor center, speaks to Mississippi Valley State University students. Gaspard spoke July 15 during Stennis Space Center's three-day educational outreach program at the college.

  4. Mississippi Valley State University educational outreach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2009-01-01

    Pat Gaspard, a visitor relations specialist with NASA's StenniSphere visitor center, speaks to Mississippi Valley State University students. Gaspard spoke July 15 during Stennis Space Center's three-day educational outreach program at the college.

  5. 20 CFR 653.107 - Outreach.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... of complaints to the local office complaint specialist or local officer manager; (v) Referral to... office manager for processing in accordance with § 653.113. (l) Outreach workers shall be trained in... local office manager and maintained on file for at least two years. These records shall include the...

  6. 20 CFR 653.107 - Outreach.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... of complaints to the local office complaint specialist or local officer manager; (v) Referral to... office manager for processing in accordance with § 653.113. (l) Outreach workers shall be trained in... local office manager and maintained on file for at least two years. These records shall include the...

  7. 20 CFR 653.107 - Outreach.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... of complaints to the local office complaint specialist or local officer manager; (v) Referral to... office manager for processing in accordance with § 653.113. (l) Outreach workers shall be trained in... local office manager and maintained on file for at least two years. These records shall include the...

  8. 20 CFR 653.107 - Outreach.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... of complaints to the local office complaint specialist or local officer manager; (v) Referral to... office manager for processing in accordance with § 653.113. (l) Outreach workers shall be trained in... local office manager and maintained on file for at least two years. These records shall include the...

  9. Outreach to Inspire Girls in Geology: A Recipe for Success (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kekelis, L.

    2010-12-01

    Geology and engineering careers can seem very abstract to a young girl, especially to a girl who has no role model in technical fields. Many girls want to make the world a better place but don’t see how their interests connect with geology or engineering. Role models and field trips to worksites are instrumental in encouraging girls to consider careers in geoscience and engineering. The opportunities to see real-world applications of technology and meet with role models who work in technical fields are extremely impactful and can have a strong influence on a girl’s career path. Together we need to do a better job of communicating what geoscience and engineering have to offer girls and what girls have to offer these fields. This presentation will provide practical tips to help combat stereotypes, 2) share resources for outreach at one-day special events, summer camps, visits to the classroom and field trips to corporate sites and college campuses, and 3) highlight strategies for groups to work collaboratively in outreach. This presentation will help those currently involved in outreach who want to improve on existing efforts, along with those who have never done outreach and are interested in getting started. Techbridge will share a “recipe for success” for planning and hosting role model visits to the classroom and field trips. A case study of outreach by Chevron with Techbridge girls will be shared including the pre-event planning that made this event a success. Activities that make geology fun and friendly to girls and tips for dispelling stereotypes about careers in geology and engineering will also be shared. Participants will be invited to ask questions and share on topics of interest, such as “Challenges with outreach,” “How to get involved without burning out,” and “How to show your manager or organization that outreach is worth the effort.” We will also promote a candid discussion of the challenges that can arise along with way and how

  10. 12 CFR 361.6 - What outreach efforts are included in this program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY MINORITY AND WOMEN OUTREACH PROGRAM CONTRACTING § 361.6 What outreach efforts... with the FDIC in minority- and women-owned media; and (5) Monitoring to assure that FDIC staff...

  11. Outcomes for Engineering Students Delivering a STEM Education and Outreach Programme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fitzallen, Noleine; Brown, Natalie Ruth

    2017-01-01

    University science outreach programmes are used to encourage more school students to select science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in further education and pursue science-related careers. The benefits of science outreach programmes are often espoused from the perspective of programme participants. Little attention,…

  12. How Learners Perceive They Construct Knowledge as Participants in Outreach Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yelich Biniecki, Susan

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this interpretive qualitative research study was to explore how adult learners perceive they construct knowledge in connection to their participation in educational outreach programs, encompassing a continuum of formal, non-formal, and informal learning experiences. The study context involved three world affairs outreach education…

  13. A Pilot Astronomy Outreach Project in Bangladesh

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacharya, Dipen; Mridha, Shahjahan; Afroz, Maqsuda

    2015-08-01

    In its strategic planning for the "Astronomy for Development Project," the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has ecognized, among other important missions, the role of astronomy in understanding the far-reaching possibilities for promoting global tolerance and citizenship. Furthermore, astronomy is deemed inspirational for careers in science and technology. The "Pilot Astronomy Outreach Project in Bangladesh"--the first of its kind in the country--aspires to fulfill these missions. As Bangladesh lacks resources to promote astronomy education in universities and schools, the role of disseminating astronomy education to the greater community falls on citizen science organizations. One such group, Anushandhitshu Chokro (AChokro) Science Organization, has been carrying out a successful public outreach program since 1975. Among its documented public events, AChokro organized a total solar eclipse campaign in Bangladesh in 2009, at which 15,000 people were assembled in a single open venue for the eclipse observation. The organization has actively pursued astronomy outreach to dispel public misconceptions about astronomical phenomena and to promote science. AChokro is currently working to build an observatory and Science Outreach Center around a recently-acquired 14-inch Scmidt-Cassegrain telescope and a soon-to-be-acquired new 16-inch reflector, all funded by private donations. The telescopes will be fitted with photometers, spectrometers, and digital and CCD cameras to pursue observations that would include sun spot and solar magnetic fields, planetary surfaces, asteroid search, variable stars and supernovae. The Center will be integrated with schools, colleges, and community groups for regular observation and small-scale research. Special educational and observing sessions for adults will also be organized. Updates on the development of the Center, which is expected to be functioning by the end of 2015, will be shared and feedback invited on the fostering of

  14. Dialectical dividends: fostering hybridity of new pedagogical practices and partnerships in science education and outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martins Gomes, Diogo; McCauley, Veronica

    2016-09-01

    Science literacy has become socially and economically very important. European countries stress that science graduates are fundamental for economic growth. Nevertheless, there is a declining student participation in science. In response, there has been a call to change the way science is taught in schools, which focuses on inquiry methods rooted in constructivism. Universities and other organisations have responded by developing outreach programmes to improve student engagement in science. Given this context, there is a necessity for research to ascertain if this new relationship between outreach and education is worthwhile. This study examines and compares primary teachers and outreach practitioners understanding and perceptions of constructivist science pedagogy, in an effort to understand the potential of a teacher-outreach partnership. For this, qualitative and quantitative methods were employed, taking a dialectic pragmatic stance. Contradicting the recurrent view, teachers and outreach providers revealed favourable views in relation to constructivism, despite recognising barriers to its implementation. These results support a partnership between teachers and outreach practitioners and the realisation of the hybrid role of each participant. The results also reveal an important dynamic in outreach access to schools. Specifically, the outreach connected teachers acted as gatekeepers by negotiating access into their colleagues classrooms.

  15. CARES: Mentoring through University Outreach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bergerson, Amy Aldous; Petersen, Kari K.

    2009-01-01

    This study examined whether a university outreach program featuring peer mentoring and offering a social support network can impact college-going aspirations. Study participants were middle school students of color and low SES students and their university student mentors. Purposeful selection was used to identify six mentors and six proteges and…

  16. Lab Report Blues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Diaz, Andrew

    2004-01-01

    For middle school students, writing a formal lab report can be challenging. For middle level teachers, reading students lab reports can be overwhelming. After grading report after report with incomplete procedures, incorrect graphs, and missing conclusions, the author's frustration level was at an all-time high. Ready to try anything, he thought,…

  17. Reforming Cookbook Labs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peters, Erin

    2005-01-01

    Deconstructing cookbook labs to require the students to be more thoughtful could break down perceived teacher barriers to inquiry learning. Simple steps that remove or disrupt the direct transfer of step-by-step procedures in cookbook labs make students think more critically about their process. Through trials in the author's middle school…

  18. Losing the Dark: Public Outreach about Light Pollution and Its Mitigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Collins Petersen, Carolyn; Petersen, Mark C.; Walker, Constance E.; Kardel, W. Scott; International Dark Sky Association Education Committee

    2015-01-01

    Losing the Dark is a PSA video available for public outreach through fulldome theaters as well as conventional venues (classroom, lecture hall, YouTube, Vimeo). It was created by Loch Ness Productions for the International Dark Sky Association. It explains problems caused by light pollution, which targets astronomy, health, and the environment. Losing the Dark also suggests ways people can implement "wise lighting" practices to help mitigate light pollution. The video is available free of charge for outreach professionals in planetarium facilities (both fulldome and classical), science centers, classroom, and other outreach venues, and has been translated into 13 languages. It is available via download, USB key (at cost), and through online venues. This paper summarizes the program's outreach to more than a thousand fulldome theaters, nearly 100,000 views via four sites on Youtube and Vimeo,a number of presentations at other museum and classroom facilities, and shares some preliminary metrics and commentary from users.

  19. Navigating change: how outreach facilitators can help clinicians improve patient outcomes.

    PubMed

    Laferriere, Dianne; Liddy, Clare; Nash, Kate; Hogg, William

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this study was to describe outreach facilitation as an effective method of assisting and supporting primary care practices to improve processes and delivery of care. We spent 4 years working with 83 practices in Eastern Ontario, Canada, on the Improved Delivery of Cardiovascular Care through the Outreach Facilitation program. Primary care practices, even if highly motivated, face multiple challenges when providing quality patient care. Outreach facilitation can be an effective method of assisting and supporting practices to make the changes necessary to improve processes and delivery of care. Multiple jurisdictions use outreach facilitation for system redesign, improved efficiencies, and advanced access. The development and implementation of quality improvement programs using practice facilitation can be challenging. Our research team has learned valuable lessons in developing tools, finding resources, and assisting practices to reach their quality improvement goals. These lessons can lead to improved experiences for the practices and overall improved outcomes for the patients they serve.

  20. The Lowell Observatory Navajo-Hopi Astronomy Outreach Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herrmann, K. A.; Hunter, D. A.; Bosh, A. S.; Johnson, M.; Schindler, K.

    2012-08-01

    We present an overview of the Lowell Observatory Navajo-Hopi Astronomy Outreach Program, which is modeled after the ASP's Project ASTRO (Richter & Fraknoi 1994). Since 1996, our missions have been (1) to use the inherent excitement about the night sky to help teachers get Navajo and Hopi students excited about science and education, and (2) to help teachers of Navajo and Hopi students learn about astronomy and hands-on activities so that they will be better able to incorporate astronomy in their classrooms. Lowell astronomers pair up for a school year with an elementary or middle school (5th-8th grade) teacher and make numerous visits to their teachers' classes, partnering with the educators in leading discussions linked with hands-on activities. Lowell staff also work with educators and amateur astronomers to offer evening star parties that involve the family members of the students as well as the general community. Toward the end of the school year, teachers bring their classes to Lowell Observatory. The classes spend some time exploring the Steele Visitor Center and participating in tours and programs. They also voyage to Lowell's research facility in the evening to observe at two of Lowell's research telescopes. Furthermore, we offer biennial teacher workshops in Flagstaff to provide teachers with tools, curricula materials, and personalized training so that they are able to include astronomy in their classrooms. We also work with tribal educators to incorporate traditional astronomical knowledge. Funding for the program comes from many different sources.

  1. Explorations in K-12 Education and Public Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Limaye, S. S.; Pertzborn, R. A.; Sromovsky, L. A.

    1997-07-01

    Space exploration remains a topic of immense interest and excitement for children and the general public. A diverse approach has been utilized at the Space Science and Engineering Center to initiate outreach and K-12 education activities. The hands-on experience gained through a working relationships with educators has been useful in understanding the challenges, usefulness and limitations of scientists' involvement in the education process. Our efforts have included school visits, development of lesson plans (KidSat), internet based activities (Planet Exploration Toolkit for Live from Mars, a Passport to Knowledge Project), World Wide Web, Public Lectures, summer teacher enhancement workshops, internships, and substitute teaching in science classes. The feedback and comments from teachers and students has demonstrated the usefulness and need for these efforts. The experience has also demonstrated that a committed effort in outreach is ultimately satisfying although immensely time consuming. Our outreach efforts have been partially supported by a NASA/IDEA grant, Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, NOAA and more recently, the Evjue Foundation (Madison-Wisconsin).

  2. Effective Engineering Outreach through an Undergraduate Mentoring Team and Module Database

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Colin; Butterfield, Anthony E.

    2014-01-01

    The rising need for engineers has led to increased interest in community outreach in engineering departments nationwide. We present a sustainable outreach model involving trained undergraduate mentors to build ties with K-12 teachers and students. An associated online module database of chemical engineering demonstrations, available to educators…

  3. Evaluating an outreach service for paediatric burns follow up.

    PubMed

    Cubitt, Jonathan J; Chesney, Amy; Brown, Liz; Nguyen, Dai Q

    2015-09-01

    Complications following paediatric burns are well documented and care needs to be taken to ensure the appropriate follow up of these patients. Historically this has meant follow up into adulthood however this is often not necessary. The centralisation of burns services in the UK means that patients and their parents may have to travel significant distances to receive this follow up care. To optimise our burns service we have introduced a burns outreach service to enable the patients to be treated closer to home. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the introduction of the burns outreach service and within this environment define the optimum length of time needed to follow up these patients. A retrospective analysis was carried out of 100 consecutive paediatric burns patients who underwent surgical management of their burn. During the follow up period there were 43 complications in 32 patients (32%). These included adverse scarring (either hypertrophic or keloid), delayed healing (taking >1 month to heal) and contractures (utilising either splinting or surgical correction). Fifty-nine percent of these complications occurred within 6 months of injury and all occurred within 18 months. Size of burn was directly correlated to the risk of developing a complication. The outreach service reduced the distance the patient needs to travel for follow up by more than 50%. There was also a significant financial benefit for the service as the follow up clinics were on average 50% cheaper with burns outreach than burns physician. Burns outreach is a feasible service that not only benefits the patients but also is cheaper for the burns service. The optimum length of follow up for paediatric burns in 18 months, after which if there have not been any complications they can be discharged. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

  4. The Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência and its Outreach

    PubMed Central

    Leão, Maria João; Godinho, Ana; Fernandes, Pedro

    2012-01-01

    The Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC) is biomedical research institute that acts as a host institution for small research groups, in Portugal. Most of its activities reach out to the scientific community in several ways. The IGC organizes regular series of seminars with invited international speakers, workshops, courses and conferences, and an in-house PhD programme. Specific outreach needs had to be met in the two instances that are described here. GTPB The Gulbenkian Training Programme in Bioinformatics (GTPB) started as a regular activity in 1999 in response to the demand of users seeking opportunities to acquire hands-on practical skills in Bioinformatics in an effective way. Training provision in Bioinformatics requires the conciliation of a variety of interests into a series of highly effective training events, in which scientists can acquire skills and a high degree of independence in their usage. The GTPB programme currently offers more than 30 themes, of which 15 to 20 are chosen for single events in each year. The GTPB has provided training to more than 2000 researchers and students, so far. IGC Outreach A dedicated outreach programme targets science education and public engagement in science, for different audience groups. The aim of the outreach programme is to promote scientific literacy, foster careers in science and empower citizens to engage in cutting-edge biomedical research. Activities include Open Days, seminars and laboratory workshops for teachers, development of online, multimedia and hard-copy resources and experimental protocols to be used in schools, visits to schools with hands-on experiments and career talks by researchers and facility staff. Less conventional outreach activities include direct participation in venues for the general public (such a a music festival, for example) have created unexpected opportunities for fundraising and direct financial support for students engaged in research projects.

  5. The National Library of Medicine's 2004 "Symposium on community-based health information outreach". Introduction.

    PubMed

    Peay, Wayne J; Rockoff, Maxine L

    2005-10-01

    This paper introduces the special supplement to the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) that documents the proceedings of the "Symposium on Community-based Health Information Outreach" held on December 2 and 3, 2004, at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The goal of the symposium was to explore new models of health information outreach that are emerging as technology dramatically changes the abilities of medical and health services libraries to provide resources and services beyond their traditional institutional boundaries, with particular concern for consumer health information outreach through community-based organizations. The symposium's primary objectives were to learn about successful and promising work that had already been done as well as to develop a vision for the future that could inform the NLM's next National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) contract. Another objective was to review and assess the NLM's Strategic Plan to Reduce Health Disparities with special emphasis on Native Americans. The paper describes the background events and rationale that led to the NLM's decision to convene the symposium and summarizes the supplement's ten other papers, some of which were presented at the symposium and some of which were written afterward to capture the symposium's working sessions. The symposium convened approximately 150 invited participants with a wide variety of perspectives and experience. Sessions were held to present exemplary outreach projects, to review the NLM's Strategic Plan to Reduce Health Disparities, to summarize the research underpinnings for evaluating outreach projects, and to provide a futurist's perspective. A panel of community representatives gave voice to the participants in outreach projects, and sixteen posters describing outreach projects were available, many of them with community representatives on hand to explain the work. This JMLA supplement provides a comprehensive summary of the state of the art

  6. 12 CFR 361.2 - Why does the FDIC have this outreach program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... OF GENERAL POLICY MINORITY AND WOMEN OUTREACH PROGRAM CONTRACTING § 361.2 Why does the FDIC have this outreach program? It is the policy of the FDIC that minorities and women, and businesses owned by them have...

  7. [An ethical reflection on outreaching mental health care].

    PubMed

    Liégeois, A; Eneman, M

    Care providers have a conflicting societal role: on the one hand they must respect the autonomy of individuals with psychiatric problems, but on the other hand they often feel the need to offer these individuals outreaching care. To compile an ethical reflection on some of the ways in which outreaching mental health care interventions can be provided in a responsible manner. This ethical reflection is based on an ethical advice by the Ethics committee for Mental Health Care of the Brothers of Charity in Flanders. The method combines ethical discussion and a study of the relevant literature. A good starting point is a relational view of the human being that emphasises connectedness and involvement. Consequently, the care provider begins to intervene in the care programme by building a trusting relationship with the person with psychiatric problems. This is how these persons, their close family and friends and care providers exercise their responsibility. There is a gradation of responsibility that extends in a continuous line: personal responsibility develops into shared responsibility which can then become vicarious responsibility. On that basis there is also a gradation in the nature of outreaching care; the care providers first make themselves available and give information, then provide advice, negotiate, persuade, increase pressure, and finally take over and force the person with psychiatric problems. The care providers choose in dialogue and in a considered and consistent way for the appropriate form of outreaching care, in line with the degree of responsibility that the person with psychiatric problems can assume.

  8. 12 CFR 361.3 - Who may participate in this outreach program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Who may participate in this outreach program? 361.3 Section 361.3 Banks and Banking FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION REGULATIONS AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY MINORITY AND WOMEN OUTREACH PROGRAM CONTRACTING § 361.3 Who may participate in this...

  9. Evaluation of Radon Outreach Programming in Chaffee and Park Counties, Colorado

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Kurt M.

    2015-01-01

    Colorado State University Extension in Chaffee and Park Counties conducted numerous outreach educational activities between 2007 and 2010. A follow-up evaluation was conducted to determine whether one outreach activity was more effective at encouraging individuals to test their homes for radon or to mitigate their homes. Participants in the…

  10. Outreach to International Students and Scholars Using the World Wide Web.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wei, Wei

    1998-01-01

    Describes the creation of a World Wide Web site for the Science Library International Outreach Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Discusses design elements, content, and promotion of the site. Copies of the home page and the page containing the outreach program's statement of purpose are included. (AEF)

  11. Advertising public outreach--going where the people are

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bradford, D.; Burns, D.

    In a continuing effort to invite new and larger segments of the public to participate in Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP) Public Outreach Programs, examination of methods to enhance existing Public Outreach advertising programs began in 1993. Apart from the desire to promote greater public awareness and participation of the YMP, the Project itself is receiving less coverage of its scientific aspects in the local media. Since the public is already comfortable receiving messages in these media, this becomes an additional reason to explore and study advertising as a platform for invitations to the public.

  12. Database Development for Ocean Impacts: Imaging, Outreach, and Rapid Response

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-09-30

    1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Database Development for Ocean Impacts: Imaging, Outreach...Development for Ocean Impacts: Imaging, Outreach, and Rapid Response 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d...hoses ( Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering department, WHOI, to evaluate wear and locate in mooring optical cables used in the Right Whale monitoring

  13. Status of chemistry lab safety in Nepal.

    PubMed

    Kandel, Krishna Prasad; Neupane, Bhanu Bhakta; Giri, Basant

    2017-01-01

    Chemistry labs can become a dangerous environment for students as the lab exercises involve hazardous chemicals, glassware, and equipment. Approximately one hundred thousand students take chemistry laboratory classes annually in Nepal. We conducted a survey on chemical lab safety issues across Nepal. In this paper, we assess the safety policy and equipment, protocols and procedures followed, and waste disposal in chemistry teaching labs. Significant population of the respondents believed that there is no monitoring of the lab safety in their lab (p<0.001). Even though many labs do not allow food and beverages inside lab and have first aid kits, they lack some basic safety equipment. There is no institutional mechanism to dispose lab waste and chemical waste is disposed haphazardly. Majority of the respondents believed that the safety training should be a part of educational training (p = 0.001) and they would benefit from short course and/or workshop on lab safety (p<0.001).

  14. Status of chemistry lab safety in Nepal

    PubMed Central

    Kandel, Krishna Prasad; Neupane, Bhanu Bhakta

    2017-01-01

    Chemistry labs can become a dangerous environment for students as the lab exercises involve hazardous chemicals, glassware, and equipment. Approximately one hundred thousand students take chemistry laboratory classes annually in Nepal. We conducted a survey on chemical lab safety issues across Nepal. In this paper, we assess the safety policy and equipment, protocols and procedures followed, and waste disposal in chemistry teaching labs. Significant population of the respondents believed that there is no monitoring of the lab safety in their lab (p<0.001). Even though many labs do not allow food and beverages inside lab and have first aid kits, they lack some basic safety equipment. There is no institutional mechanism to dispose lab waste and chemical waste is disposed haphazardly. Majority of the respondents believed that the safety training should be a part of educational training (p = 0.001) and they would benefit from short course and/or workshop on lab safety (p<0.001). PMID:28644869

  15. Woody biomass outreach in the southern United States: A case study

    Treesearch

    Martha Monroe; Annie Oxarart

    2011-01-01

    Woody biomass is one potential renewable energy source that is technically feasible where environmental and economic factors are promising. It becomes a realistic option when it is also socially acceptable. Public acceptance and support of wood to energy proposals require community education and outreach. The Wood to Energy Outreach Program provides science-based...

  16. An Interdisciplinary Outreach Model of African American Recruitment for Alzheimer's Disease Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Monique M.; Meisel, Marie M.; Williams, James; Morris, John C.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: The African American Outreach Satellite (Satellite) provides educational outreach to facilitate African American recruitment for longitudinal studies at the Washington University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC). This descriptive article characterizes the Satellite's recruitment methods, plan for community engagement, results of…

  17. Outreach and online training services at the Saccharomyces Genome Database.

    PubMed

    MacPherson, Kevin A; Starr, Barry; Wong, Edith D; Dalusag, Kyla S; Hellerstedt, Sage T; Lang, Olivia W; Nash, Robert S; Skrzypek, Marek S; Engel, Stacia R; Cherry, J Michael

    2017-01-01

    The Saccharomyces Genome Database (SGD; www.yeastgenome.org ), the primary genetics and genomics resource for the budding yeast S. cerevisiae , provides free public access to expertly curated information about the yeast genome and its gene products. As the central hub for the yeast research community, SGD engages in a variety of social outreach efforts to inform our users about new developments, promote collaboration, increase public awareness of the importance of yeast to biomedical research, and facilitate scientific discovery. Here we describe these various outreach methods, from networking at scientific conferences to the use of online media such as blog posts and webinars, and include our perspectives on the benefits provided by outreach activities for model organism databases. http://www.yeastgenome.org. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  18. Integrating Inquiry-Based Science and Education Methods Courses in a "Science Semester" for Future Elementary Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Madsen, J.; Fifield, S.; Allen, D.; Brickhouse, N.; Dagher, Z.; Ford, D.; Shipman, H.

    2001-05-01

    concepts, make connections between class activities, and launch and wrap-up PBL problems. Labs will include activities from elementary science kits as launching points for in-depth investigations that demonstrate the continuity of science concepts and pedagogies across age levels. In the methods course, students will critically explore the theory and practice of elementary science teaching, drawing on their shared experiences of inquiry learning in the science courses. Field placements in elementary classrooms will allow students to ground their studies of science and pedagogy in actual practice.

  19. SenseLab

    PubMed Central

    Crasto, Chiquito J.; Marenco, Luis N.; Liu, Nian; Morse, Thomas M.; Cheung, Kei-Hoi; Lai, Peter C.; Bahl, Gautam; Masiar, Peter; Lam, Hugo Y.K.; Lim, Ernest; Chen, Huajin; Nadkarni, Prakash; Migliore, Michele; Miller, Perry L.; Shepherd, Gordon M.

    2009-01-01

    This article presents the latest developments in neuroscience information dissemination through the SenseLab suite of databases: NeuronDB, CellPropDB, ORDB, OdorDB, OdorMapDB, ModelDB and BrainPharm. These databases include information related to: (i) neuronal membrane properties and neuronal models, and (ii) genetics, genomics, proteomics and imaging studies of the olfactory system. We describe here: the new features for each database, the evolution of SenseLab’s unifying database architecture and instances of SenseLab database interoperation with other neuroscience online resources. PMID:17510162

  20. Finding Win-Win Forms of Economic Development Outreach: Shared Priorities of Business Faculty and Community

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bacdayan, Paul

    2008-01-01

    The mission statements of many public (taxpayer-supported) colleges promise economic development outreach to local business communities. Unfortunately, faculty may be hard-pressed to devote time to outreach. The author looks for specific outreach activities that garner strong support from both faculty and business representatives. The author…

  1. Investigating elementary education and physical therapy majors' perceptions of an inquiry-based physics content course

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hilton, John Martin

    This study investigates why physical therapy assistant majors engage and perform better than elementary education majors in an inquiry-based conceptual physics course at Mid-Atlantic Community College. The students from each major are demographically similar, both courses are similar in depth and structure, and each course supports the students' program. However, there is an observed difference in the levels of engagement with the curriculum and performance on writing-based assessments between the two groups. To explore possible explanations for the difference, I examine students' affinity for science, their beliefs about the nature of science and scientific knowledge in the classroom, and their perception of the usefulness of science to their program. During semi-structured interviews, students from both majors displayed nearly identical weak affinities for science, epistemological beliefs, and uncertainty about the usefulness of the class. However, the physical therapy majors' ability to see the relevance of the physics course experience to their program enhanced their interest and motivation. In contrast, the elementary education students do not see connections between the course and their program, and do not see a purpose for their learning of physics content. To improve the program, I propose a two-pronged approach - designing a faded-scaffolded-inquiry approach for both classes, and developing a field-based/seminar class for the elementary education majors. The scaffolded inquiry will help both groups develop better orientations toward lab activities, and the structured observations and reflection will help the elementary group connect the material to their program.

  2. Eliminating the OUCH in OUtreaCH

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karsten, J. L.; Manduca, C. A.

    2004-12-01

    ``I'm a scientist who knows how to conduct research, not an expert in teaching pre-college students!'' is a common complaint within the scientific community in response to recent funding agency mandates that research proposals explicitly address education, public outreach or other broader impacts. Yet, these new requirements address several important goals - fostering public support for research funding in the Earth and Space sciences, recruiting the next generation of talented geoscientists in the face of declining student enrollments, and educating the citizenry for informed decision making and advocacy, chief among them. Further, the phrase ``broader impacts'' is not meant to be synonymous with outreach to pre-college students and teachers - agency program managers actually encourage many different types of activity for meeting these obligations. AGU and its Committee on Education and Human Resources (CEHR) are committed to offering an array of programs that facilitate our members' ability to meet these new education, outreach, and broader impacts criteria in support of the research enterprise. CEHR has an on-going need for scientists willing to speak about their research in Geophysical Information for Teacher (GIFT) Workshops, sponsored lectures at annual and regional conventions of the National Science Teachers Association, special symposia for minority high school students attending annual AGU meetings, and career planning workshops for students and early career investigators. More extensive involvement as meeting mentors for minority undergraduate and graduate students is available through AGU's partnership with the new MSPHDS initiative (A. Pyrtle, P.I.). A new AGU outreach web site now under development will make available scientist biographies and abstracts derived from recent scientific articles originally published in AGU journals, which have been rewritten for a public audience. This resource is expected to serve as an important vehicle for AGU members

  3. Mapping Extension's Networks: Using Social Network Analysis to Explore Extension's Outreach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bartholomay, Tom; Chazdon, Scott; Marczak, Mary S.; Walker, Kathrin C.

    2011-01-01

    The University of Minnesota Extension conducted a social network analysis (SNA) to examine its outreach to organizations external to the University of Minnesota. The study found that its outreach network was both broad in its reach and strong in its connections. The study found that SNA offers a unique method for describing and measuring Extension…

  4. Teen Outreach: Data from the Second Year of a National Replication.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Philliber, Susan

    Teen Outreach is a school-based teenage pregnancy prevention program designed to decrease the incidence of teenage pregnancy and to increase the number of at-risk teenagers who successfully complete their high school education. Begun in 1981 in St. Louis, Missouri, Teen Outreach was implemented as a national replication study in 1983. There are…

  5. Utilization of outreach immunization services among children in Hoima District, Uganda: a cluster survey.

    PubMed

    Oryema, Paul; Babirye, Juliet N; Baguma, Charles; Wasswa, Peter; Guwatudde, David

    2017-02-27

    The global vaccine action plan 2011-2020 was endorsed by 194 states to equitably extend the benefits of immunization to all people. However, gaps in vaccination coverage remain in developing countries such as Uganda. One of the strategies used to tackle existing inequities is implementation of outreach immunization services to deliver services to those with poor geographical access. However, reports of inconsistent use of these services prevail; therefore understanding the factors associated with use of these services is critical for improving service delivery. This study examined the factors associated with utilization of outreach immunization services among children aged 10-23 months in Hoima District, Uganda. Overall, 87.4% (416/476) of the children had ever utilized outreach immunization services. Of these, 3.6% (15/416) had completed their entire immunization schedules from outreach immunization sessions. Use of outreach services was associated with reports that the time of outreach sessions was convenient [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32-6.51], community mobilization was done prior to outreach sessions (AOR 4.9, 95% CI 1.94-12.61), the caretaker knew the benefits of childhood immunizations (AOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.30-4.42), and the caretaker was able to name at least four vaccine preventable diseases (AOR 3.0, 95% CI 1.13-7.88). Utilization of outreach immunization services in Hoima District was high but reduced with subsequent vaccine doses. Therefore, strategies targeted at retaining service users for the entire immunization schedule need to be developed and implemented. Such strategies could include health education emphasizing the benefits of childhood immunization.

  6. Indigenous Respiratory Outreach Care: the first 18 months of a specialist respiratory outreach service to rural and remote Indigenous communities in Queensland, Australia.

    PubMed

    Medlin, Linda G; Chang, Anne B; Fong, Kwun; Jackson, Rebecca; Bishop, Penny; Dent, Annette; Hill, Deb C; Vincent, Stephen; O'Grady, Kerry-Ann F

    2014-09-01

    Respiratory diseases are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Indigenous Australians. However, there are limited approaches to specialist respiratory care in rural and remote communities that are culturally appropriate. A specialist Indigenous Respiratory Outreach Care (IROC) program, developed to address this gap, is described. The aim of the present study was to implement, pilot and evaluate multidisciplinary specialist respiratory outreach medical teams in rural and remote Indigenous communities in Queensland, Australia. Sites were identified based on a perception of unmet need, burden of respiratory disease and/or capacity to use the clinical service and capacity building for support offered. IROC commenced in March 2011 and, to date, has been implemented in 13 communities servicing a population of approximately 43000 Indigenous people. Clinical service delivery has been possible through community engagement and capacity building initiatives directed by community protocols. IROC is a culturally sensitive and sustainable model for adult and paediatric specialist outreach respiratory services that may be transferrable to Indigenous communities across Queensland and Australia.

  7. Integrating Robotic Observatories into Astronomy Labs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruch, Gerald T.

    2015-01-01

    The University of St. Thomas (UST) and a consortium of five local schools is using the UST Robotic Observatory, housing a 17' telescope, to develop labs and image processing tools that allow easy integration of observational labs into existing introductory astronomy curriculum. Our lab design removes the burden of equipment ownership by sharing access to a common resource and removes the burden of data processing by automating processing tasks that are not relevant to the learning objectives.Each laboratory exercise takes place over two lab periods. During period one, students design and submit observation requests via the lab website. Between periods, the telescope automatically acquires the data and our image processing pipeline produces data ready for student analysis. During period two, the students retrieve their data from the website and perform the analysis. The first lab, 'Weighing Jupiter,' was successfully implemented at UST and several of our partner schools. We are currently developing a second lab to measure the age of and distance to a globular cluster.

  8. Effectiveness of community outreach and engagement in recruitment success for a prebirth cohort.

    PubMed

    Tigges, Beth B; Kaar, Jill L; Erbstein, Nancy; Silberman, Pamela; Winseck, Kate; Lopez-Class, Maria; Burbacher, Thomas M

    2017-06-01

    We describe the effectiveness of community outreach and engagement in supporting recruitment for the US National Children's Vanguard Study between 2009 and 2012. Thirty-seven study locations used 1 of 4 strategies to recruit 18-49-year-old pregnant or trying to conceive women: (1) Initial Vanguard Study used household-based recruitment; (2) Direct Outreach emphasized self-referral; (3) Enhanced Household-Based Recruitment enhanced Initial Vanguard Study strategies; and (4) Provider-Based Recruitment recruited through healthcare providers. Outreach and engagement included advance letters, interactions with healthcare providers, participation in community events, contacts with community organizations, and media outreach. After 1-2 years, 41%-74% of 9844 study-eligible women had heard about the National Children's Vanguard Study when first approached. Women who heard were 1.5-3 times more likely to consent. Hearing via word-of-mouth or the media most frequently predicted consent. The more sources women heard from the higher the odds of consent. We conclude that tailored outreach and engagement facilitate recruitment in cohort studies.

  9. Incorporating Hot Topics in Ocean Sciences to Outreach Activities in Marine and Environmental Science Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bergondo, D. L.; Mrakovcich, K. L.; Vlietstra, L.; Tebeau, P.; Verlinden, C.; Allen, L. A.; James, R.

    2016-02-01

    The US Coast Guard Academy, an undergraduate military Academy, in New London CT, provides STEM education programs to the local community that engage the public on hot topics in ocean sciences. Outreach efforts include classroom, lab, and field-based activities at the Academy as well as at local schools. In one course, we partner with a STEM high school collecting fish and environmental data on board a research vessel and subsequently students present the results of their project. In another course, cadets develop and present interactive demonstrations of marine science to local school groups. In addition, the Academy develops In another course, cadets develop and present interactive demonstrations of marine science to local school groups. In addition, the Academy develops and/or participates in outreach programs including Science Partnership for Innovation in Learning (SPIL), Women in Science, Physics of the Sea, and the Ocean Exploration Trust Honors Research Program. As part of the programs, instructors and cadets create interactive and collaborative activities that focus on hot topics in ocean sciences such as oil spill clean-up, ocean exploration, tsunamis, marine biodiversity, and conservation of aquatic habitats. Innovative science demonstrations such as real-time interactions with the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus, rotating tank simulations of ocean circulation, wave tank demonstrations, and determining what materials work best to contain and clean-up oil, are used to enhance ocean literacy. Children's books, posters and videos are some creative ways students summarize their understanding of ocean sciences and marine conservation. Despite time limitations of students and faculty, and challenges associated with securing funding to keep these programs sustainable, the impact of the programs is overwhelmingly positive. We have built stronger relationships with local community, enhanced ocean literacy, facilitated communication and mentorship between young

  10. The Optics Institute of Southern California: organizing and implementing outreach effort

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Silberman, Donn M.

    2003-10-01

    The Optics Institute of Southern California is organizing the local educational outreach effort. Working with local optics businesses, society chapters, science discovery centers, K-12, community college and university educators, and others from the global optics education and training community, the OISC is becoming a one-stop clearing house for a wide range of educational outreach activities.

  11. Early postdisaster health outreach to modern families: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Haga, Jon Magnus; Stene, Lise Eilin; Wentzel-Larsen, Tore; Thoresen, Siri; Dyb, Grete

    2015-12-17

    This study investigated whether the early outreach programme following the Utøya massacre reached out to the parents of the young survivors. Additionally, we explored whether specialised mental healthcare services were provided to parents presenting elevated levels of PTSD and depression reactions. Cross-sectional survey, face-to-face interviews and questionnaires. Norway, aftermath of the Utøya massacre, 4-7 months postdisaster. Following the Utøya massacre, proactive early outreach programmes were launched in all municipalities that were affected, facilitating access to appropriate healthcare services. A total of 453 parents of the Utøya survivors aged 13-33 years took part. Overall, 59.8% of the survivors were represented by one or more parent in our study. Engagement with the proactive early outreach programme (psychosocial crisis teams and contact persons in the municipalities), utilisation of healthcare services (general practitioner and specialised mental healthcare services) and mental distress (UCLA PTSD-RI and HSCL-8). A majority of the participants reported contact with the proactive early outreach programme (crisis team, 73.9%; and contact person, 73.0%). Failure of outreach to parents was significantly associated with non-intact family structure (crisis team: OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.72, p=0.032) and non-Norwegian origin (crisis team: OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.14 to 4.98, p=0.021). Gender of the parent was not significantly associated with failure of the outreach programme (p ≥ 0.075). Provision of specialised mental healthcare services was significantly associated with higher levels of PTSD (OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.55 to 2.79, p<0.001) and depression (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.71 to 3.43, p<0.001) and not with the sociodemography (p ≥ 0.122). Proactive early outreach strategies may be helpful in identifying healthcare needs and facilitating access to the required services in a population struck by disaster. Our findings prompt increased attention to the complexity

  12. CAREER Educational Outreach: Inquiry-based Atmospheric Science Lessons for K-12 students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Courville, Z.; Carbaugh, S.; Defrancis, G.; Donegan, R.; Brown, C.; Perovich, D. K.; Richter-Menge, J.

    2011-12-01

    Climate Comics is a collaborative outreach effort between the Montshire Museum of Science, in Norwich, VT, the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) research staff, and freelance artist and recent graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, VT, Sam Carbaugh. The project involves the cartoonist, the education staff from the museum, and researchers from CRREL creating a series of comic books with polar science and research themes, including sea ice monitoring, sea ice albedo, ice cores, extreme microbial activity, and stories and the process of fieldwork. The aim of the comic series is to provide meaningful science information in a comic-format that is both informative and fun, while highlighting current polar research work done at the lab. The education staff at the Montshire Museum develops and provides a series of hands-on, inquiry-based activity descriptions to complement each comic book, and CRREL researchers provide science background information and reiterative feedback about the comic books as they are being developed. Here, we present the motivation for using the comic-book medium to present polar research topics, the process involved in creating the comics, some unique features of the series, and the finished comic books themselves. Cartoon illustrating ways snow pack can be used to determine past climate information.

  13. Opportunities for IPY Higher Education and Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sparrow, E. B.

    2007-12-01

    A very rich network for higher education and outreach during the fourth International Polar Year (IPY) exists through the University of the Arctic (UArctic, www.uarctic.org), a collaborative consortium of more than ninety institutions e.g. universities, colleges, and other organizations committed to higher education and research in the North, as well as eighteen other projects submitted as Expression of Intents to the IPY Joint Committee formed into an IPY cluster. The coordination office for this UArctic IPY education outreach efforts is located at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (www.uaf.edu and www.alaska.edu/ipy). The education outreach programs reflect a continuum of learning as a lifelong process that targets different audiences and approaches: 1) primary and secondary students through teacher professional development workshops on science teaching and research; 2) undergraduate students via education and research experience; 3) graduate students through integrated education and research; 4) early career scientists/university faculty via professional development; and 5) communities/ general public via continuing education/adult education either through formal or informal ways. Additionally there are organizations such as the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and the Youth Steering Committee (YSC) including a newly formed group on tertiary education to nurture the next generation of polar and non-polar scientists and foster the leadership of the next IPY.

  14. Space Weather Outreach: Connection to STEM Standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dusenbery, P. B.

    2008-12-01

    Many scientists are studying the Sun-Earth system and attempting to provide timely, accurate, and reliable space environment observations and forecasts. Research programs and missions serve as an ideal focal point for creating educational content, making this an ideal time to inform the public about the importance and value of space weather research. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, the Space Science Institute (SSI) is developing a comprehensive Space Weather Outreach program to reach students, educators, and other members of the public, and share with them the exciting discoveries from this important scientific discipline. The Space Weather Outreach program has the following five components: (1) the Space Weather Center Website that includes online educational games; (2) Small Exhibits for Libraries, Shopping Malls, and Science Centers; (3) After-School Programs; (4) Professional Development Workshops for Educators, and (5) an innovative Evaluation and Education Research project. Its overarching goal is to inspire, engage, and educate a broad spectrum of the public and make strategic and innovative connections between informal and K-12 education communities. An important factor in the success of this program will be its alignment with STEM standards especially those related to science and mathematics. This presentation will describe the Space Weather Outreach program and how standards are being used in the development of each of its components.

  15. Tribal connections health information outreach: results, evaluation, and challenges

    PubMed Central

    Wood, Fred B.; Sahali, Roy; Press, Nancy; Burroughs, Catherine; Mala, Theodore A.; Siegel, Elliot R.; Fuller, Sherrilynne S.; Rambo, Neil

    2003-01-01

    In 1997, the National Library of Medicine (NLM), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), initiated a program of intensified outreach to Native Americans, initially focusing on the Pacific Northwest in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest Regional Medical Library (PNRML). This initiative, known as the Tribal Connections Project, emphasized the establishment or strengthening of Internet connections at select Indian reservations and Alaska Native villages and related needs assessment and training. The hope was that these efforts would improve tribal access to health information available via the Internet and the Web. Phase I included sixteen tribal sites—eight in Washington, four in Alaska, two in Montana, and one each in Oregon and Idaho. Phase I results indicate that the project was successful in assessing local needs and building awareness of the Internet, forging new partnerships with and between the participating Indian reservations and Alaska Native villages and other organizations, making real improvements in the information technology (IT) infrastructure and Internet connectivity at fifteen of sixteen sites, and conducting training sessions with several hundred tribal participants across thirteen sites. Most importantly, the project demonstrated the key role of tribal community involvement and empowerment and contributed to development of an outreach evaluation field manual and the evolving concept of community-based outreach. The knowledge gained from Tribal Connections Project Phase I is helping refine and enhance subsequent NLM-sponsored tribal connections and similar community outreach efforts. PMID:12568158

  16. Coffee Shops, Classrooms and Conversations: public engagement and outreach in a large interdisciplinary research Hub

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holden, Jennifer A.

    2014-05-01

    Public engagement and outreach activities are increasingly using specialist staff for co-ordination, training and support for researchers, they are also becoming expected for large investments. Here, the experience of public engagement and outreach a large, interdisciplinary Research Hub is described. dot.rural, based at the University of Aberdeen UK, is a £11.8 million Research Councils UK Rural Digital Economy Hub, funded as part of the RCUK Digital Economy Theme (2009-2015). Digital Economy research aims to realise the transformational impact of digital technologies on aspects of the environment, community life, cultural experiences, future society, and the economy. The dot.rural Hub involves 92 researchers from 12 different disciplines, including Geography, Hydrology and Ecology. Public Engagement and Outreach is embedded in the dot.rural Digital Economy Hub via an Outreach Officer. Alongside this position, public engagement and outreach activities are compulsory part of PhD student contracts. Public Engagement and Outreach activities at the dot.rural Hub involve individuals and groups in both formal and informal settings organised by dot.rural and other organisations. Activities in the realms of Education, Public Engagement, Traditional and Social Media are determined by a set of Underlying Principles designed for the Hub by the Outreach Officer. The underlying Engagement and Outreach principles match funding agency requirements and expectations alongside researcher demands and the user-led nature of Digital Economy Research. All activities include researchers alongside the Outreach Officer are research informed and embedded into specific projects that form the Hub. Successful public engagement activities have included participation in Café Scientifique series, workshops in primary and secondary schools, and online activities such as I'm a Scientist Get Me Out of Here. From how to engage 8 year olds with making hydrographs more understandable to members of

  17. Improving the Quality of Lab Reports by Using Them as Lab Instructions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haagen-Schuetzenhoefer, Claudia

    2012-01-01

    Lab exercises are quite popular in teaching science. Teachers have numerous goals in mind when teaching science laboratories. Nevertheless, empirical research draws a heterogeneous picture of the benefits of lab work. Research has shown that it does not necessarily contribute to the enhancement of practical abilities or content knowledge. Lab…

  18. Computational Labs Using VPython Complement Conventional Labs in Online and Regular Physics Classes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bachlechner, Martina E.

    2009-03-01

    Fairmont State University has developed online physics classes for the high-school teaching certificate based on the text book Matter and Interaction by Chabay and Sherwood. This lead to using computational VPython labs also in the traditional class room setting to complement conventional labs. The computational modeling process has proven to provide an excellent basis for the subsequent conventional lab and allows for a concrete experience of the difference between behavior according to a model and realistic behavior. Observations in the regular class room setting feed back into the development of the online classes.

  19. Soak Up the Rain Customizable Outreach Tools

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Get customizable Soak Up the Rain business card, posters, & a banner that can be downloaded & copied for use by citizens, municipalities, watershed & planning organizations & others in their stormwater/green infrastructure education & outreach efforts.

  20. ESO Science Outreach Network in Poland during 2011-2013

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Czart, Krzysztof

    2014-12-01

    ESON Poland works since 2010. One of the main tasks of the ESO Science Outreach Network (ESON) is translation of various materials at ESO website, as well as contacts with journalists. We support also science festivals, conferences, contests, exhibitions, astronomy camps and workshops and other educational and outreach activities. During 2011-2013 we supported events like ESO Astronomy Camp 2013, ESO Industry Days in Warsaw, Warsaw Science Festival, Torun Festival of Science and Art, international astronomy olympiad held in Poland and many others. Among big tasks there was also translation of over 60 ESOcast movies.

  1. Education and Public Outreach at the American Astronomical Society

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fienberg, R. T.

    2011-09-01

    Recently the Council of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) adopted its first-ever mission-and-vision statement. Independently, the Astronomy Education Board (AEB), which has oversight of the Society's educational activities, adopted new goals for the AAS education program. Much of the responsibility for aligning the AAS mission-and-vision statement and AEB goals and implementing them is vested in a new position: AAS Press Officer and Education and Outreach Coordinator. Here I describe the AAS's priorities for education and public outreach and explain how they are being, or will be, achieved.

  2. Teacher education professionals as partners in health science outreach.

    PubMed

    Houtz, Lynne E; Kosoko-Lasaki, Omofolasade; Zardetto-Smith, Andrea M; Mu, Keli; Royeen, Charlotte B

    2004-01-01

    Medical school and other health science outreach programs to educate and recruit precollege students always have relied on successful collaborative efforts. Creighton University shares the value, significance, and strategies of involving teacher education professionals in several of its current outreach programs, including HPPI, Brains Rule! Neuroscience Expositions, and HHMI Build a Human Project. The education department partner serves as an essential team member in the development, implementation, assessment, and dissemination of these projects to promote science and mathematics achievement and interest in medical careers. Specific examples and mistakes to avoid are included.

  3. Elementary Science Literature Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gustafson, Brenda; MacDonald, Dougal; d'Entremont, Yvette

    2007-01-01

    This report presents a literature review of elementary science and design technology education research. The review is intended to provide direction to the elementary science working groups charged with the responsibility to revise the "Alberta Elementary Science Program" (1996) by reflecting current ideas reported in research…

  4. Elementary Integrated Curriculum Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Montgomery County Public Schools, 2010

    2010-01-01

    The Elementary Integrated Curriculum (EIC) Framework is the guiding curriculum document for the Elementary Integrated Curriculum and represents the elementary portion of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS) Pre-K-12 Curriculum Frameworks. The EIC Framework contains the detailed indicators and objectives that describe what…

  5. Spaceport Processing System Development Lab

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dorsey, Michael

    2013-01-01

    The Spaceport Processing System Development Lab (SPSDL), developed and maintained by the Systems Hardware and Engineering Branch (NE-C4), is a development lab with its own private/restricted networks. A private/restricted network is a network with restricted or no communication with other networks. This allows users from different groups to work on their own projects in their own configured environment without interfering with others utilizing their resources in the lab. The different networks being used in the lab have no way to talk with each other due to the way they are configured, so how a user configures his software, operating system, or the equipment doesn't interfere or carry over on any of the other networks in the lab. The SPSDL is available for any project in KSC that is in need of a lab environment. My job in the SPSDL was to assist in maintaining the lab to make sure it's accessible for users. This includes, but is not limited to, making sure the computers in the lab are properly running and patched with updated hardware/software. In addition to this, I also was to assist users who had issues in utilizing the resources in the lab, which may include helping to configure a restricted network for their own environment. All of this was to ensure workers were able to use the SPSDL to work on their projects without difficulty which would in turn, benefit the work done throughout KSC. When I wasn't working in the SPSDL, I would instead help other coworkers with smaller tasks which included, but wasn't limited to, the proper disposal, moving of, or search for essential equipment. I also, during the free time I had, used NASA's resources to increase my knowledge and skills in a variety of subjects related to my major as a computer engineer, particularly in UNIX, Networking, and Embedded Systems.

  6. EarthScope Education and Outreach: Accomplishments and Emerging Opportunities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robinson, S.; Ellins, K. K.; Semken, S. C.; Arrowsmith, R.

    2014-12-01

    EarthScope's Education and Outreach (E&O) program aims to increase public awareness of Earth science and enhance geoscience education at the K-12 and college level. The program is distinctive among major geoscience programs in two ways. First, planning for education and public engagement occurred in tandem with planning for the science mission. Second, the NSF EarthScope program includes funding support for education and outreach. In this presentation, we highlight key examples of the program's accomplishments and identify emerging E&O opportunities. E&O efforts have been collaboratively led by the EarthScope National Office (ESNO), IRIS, UNAVCO, the EarthScope Education and Outreach Subcommittee (EEOSC) and PI-driven EarthScope projects. Efforts by the EEOSC, guided by an EarthScope Education and Outreach Implementation Plan that is periodically updated, focus EarthScope E&O. EarthScope demonstrated early success in engaging undergraduate students (and teachers) in its mission through their involvement in siting USArray across the contiguous U.S. Funded E&O programs such as TOTLE, Illinois EarthScope, CEETEP (for K-12), InTeGrate and GETSI (for undergraduates) foster use of freely available EarthScope data and research findings. The Next Generation Science Standards, which stress science and engineering practices, offer an opportunity for alignment with existing EarthScope K-12 educational resources, and the EEOSC recommends focusing efforts on this task. The EEOSC recognizes the rapidly growing use of mobile smart devices by the public and in formal classrooms, which bring new opportunities to connect with the public and students. This will capitalize on EarthScope's already prominent social media presence, an effort that developed to accomplish one of the primary goals of the EarthScope E&O Implementation Plan to "Create a high-profile public identity for EarthScope" and to "Promote science literacy and understanding of EarthScope among all audiences through

  7. THE SPACE PUBLIC OUTREACH TEAM (SPOT)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williamson, Kathryn; National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Montana Space Grant Consortium; West Virginia Space Grant Consortium; NASA Independent Verification and Validation Center

    2014-01-01

    The Space Public Outreach Team (SPOT) has shown over 17 years of success in bringing astronomy and space science-themed presentations to approximately 10,000 students per year in Montana, and the program is now being piloted in West Virginia through a joint partnership between the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), the West Virginia Space Grant Consortium, and NASA Independent Verification and Validation Center. SPOT recruits and trains undergraduate presenters from all over the state to learn interactive slide shows that highlight the state’s on-going and world-class space science research. Presenters then travel to K-12 schools to deliver these presentations and provide teachers additional supplemental information for when the SPOT team leaves. As a large-scale, low-cost, and sustainable program being implemented in both Montana and West Virginia, SPOT has the potential to become a nation-wide effort that institutions in other states can model to increase their education and public outreach presence.

  8. Graduate and Undergraduate Students' Teaching Practices in a Place-Based Outreach Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nilsen, Katherine Joy

    2013-01-01

    This study explores how university students (i.e., undergraduate and graduate students) participating in a place-based outreach program practiced teaching strategies on four field trips. The outreach program, Learning in Place-Based Environments (LPBE), provided opportunities for the university students to teach fifth grade students about place,…

  9. A 5-year retrospective audit of prescribing by a critical care outreach team.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Mark

    2018-05-01

    UK prescribing legislation changes made in 2006 and 2012 enabled appropriately qualified nurses to prescribe any licensed medication, and all controlled drugs in schedule 2-5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, for any medical condition within their clinical competence. Critical Care Outreach nurses who are independent nurse prescribers are ideally placed to ensure that acutely ill patients receive treatment without delay. The perceived challenge was how Critical Care Outreach nurses would be able to safely prescribe for a diverse patient group. This study informs this developing area of nurse prescribing in critical care practice. The aims of the audit were to: identify which medications were prescribed; develop a critical care outreach formulary; identify the frequency, timing and number of prescribing decisions being made; identify if prescribing practice changed over the years and provide information for our continuing professional development. This article reports on data collected from a 5-year retrospective audit; of prescribing activity undertaken by nine independent nurse prescribers working in a 24/7 Critical Care Outreach team of a 600-bedded district general hospital in the UK. In total, 8216 medication items were prescribed, with an average of 2·6 prescribed per shift. The most commonly prescribed items were intravenous fluids and analgesia, which were mostly prescribed at night and weekends. The audit has shown that Critical Care Outreach nurse prescribing is feasible in a whole hospital patient population. The majority of prescribing occurred after 16:00 and at night. Further research would be beneficial, particularly looking at patient outcomes following reviews from prescribing critical care outreach nurses. The audit is one of the only long-term studies that describes prescribing practice in Critical Care Outreach teams in the UK. © 2017 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

  10. Mental health outreach and street policing in the downtown of a large French city.

    PubMed

    Girard, V; Bonin, J P; Tinland, A; Farnarier, C; Pelletier, J F; Delphin, M; Rowe, M; Simeoni, M C

    2014-01-01

    Marseille, the second largest city in France, has a large population of homeless persons. A mental health outreach team was created in 2005 as a response to high rates of mental illness among this group. In a national political context where security is a government priority, a new central police station was created in Marseille in 2006 to address robberies, violence and illegal traffic in the downtown area of the city. While not directly related to such crimes, police also are responsible for public safety or behavioral issues related to the presence of individuals who are homeless in this area. This report on a two-year pilot study (2009-2011) addresses collaborative work between a mental health outreach team and the police department responding to the clinical needs of persons who are homeless with serious psychiatric disorders. It also describes the homeless persons' interactions with, and perceptions of the presence of, police and mental health professionals on the streets. Investigators adopted a mixed-methods approach. Data were collected on 40 interactions using brief standardized report for each interaction. Focus groups were conducted with police officers, outreach team members, peer workers, and service users. Minutes of partnership meetings between police officers and outreach workers also served as a source of qualitative data. Outreach workers initiated just over half (n=21) of the encounters (n=40) between police and outreach workers. Interactions mainly involved persons with psychosis (77%), the vast majority (80%) of which involved persons in an acute phase of psychosis. Two key themes that emerged from data analysis included the violent nature of life on the streets and the high percentage of ethnic minorities among subjects of the interactions. In addition, it was found that the practices of the outreach workers are sometimes similar to those of the police, especially when outreach workers use coercive methods. "Users" (homeless persons

  11. Factors associated with depression detection in a New Hampshire mental health outreach program.

    PubMed

    Ghesquiere, Angela R; Pepin, Renee; Kinsey, Jennifer; Bartels, Stephen J; Bruce, Martha L

    2017-08-16

    For mental health outreach programs for older adults, accurately detecting depression is key to quality service provision. Multiple factors, including gender, cognitive impairment, or recent bereavement may affect depression detection, but this is under-studied. Therefore, we sought to both establish rates of depressive symptom detection and to examine factors associated with inaccuracies of detecting depression among participants in a mental health outreach program serving older adults. We conducted a chart review of 1126 cases in an older adult-focused mental health outreach program in New Hampshire, the Referral Education Assistance & Prevention (REAP) program. Accuracy of depression detection was identified by comparing screen-positive scores for depressive symptoms on the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) to depression identification by counselors on a 'presenting concerns' list. Inaccurate depression detection (positive on the GDS but depression not identified by counselors) occurred in 27.6% of cases. Multivariate regression analyses indicated that anxiety, cognitive concerns, and rurality were all associated with detection innaccuracy. This study appears to be the first to examine factors influencing depression detection in a mental health outreach program. Future efforts should help ensure that all older mental health outreach clients have depression detected at optimal rates.

  12. The Illusions and Juxtapositions of Commercial Sexual Exploitation among Youth: Identifying Effective Street-Outreach Strategies

    PubMed Central

    HOLGER-AMBROSE, BETH; LANGMADE, CHEREE; EDINBURGH, LAUREL D.; SAEWYC, ELIZABETH

    2015-01-01

    To explore sexually exploited youths’ perspectives of how street outreach workers can effectively provide outreach and connections to services, we conducted qualitative interviews with 13 female participants, ages 14–22, in a Midwestern U.S. city. Participants reported multiple types of exploitation, most first exploited by age 13, plus substance use, and recurrent homelessness. Nearly all had a pimp, and all used the internet as a venue for sexual exploitation. Participants wanted outreach workers to use “soft words” to refer to exploitation. They expressed contradictory images of their “boyfriend” pimps and their exploitation. They wanted outreach workers to “provide resources,” “be non-judgmental,” ”listen,” and “care.” Street outreach can be one way to support sexually exploited youth, but should occur in multiple settings. PMID:23590353

  13. Outreach to Future Hispanic Educational Leaders.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Serafin, Ana Gil

    This paper discusses issues related to the recruitment of Hispanic-American educational leaders, focusing on the El Centro de Recursos Educativos outreach center at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, which began operation in Fall 1997. It examines the characteristics of successful programs for Hispanic recruitment and retention and the…

  14. Introducing Extension/Outreach Education in Tajikistan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Albrecht, Julie A.; Prochaska-Cue, Kathleen; Rockwell, S. Kay; Pulatov, Pulat A.

    2010-01-01

    University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and Khujand branch of the Technological University of Tajikistan (KbTUT) collaborated on the development of an Extension/outreach program in Tajikistan. Fifteen KbTUT administrators, faculty, and students from textiles, food science, and management engaged in training sessions at UNL on entrepreneurship, adult…

  15. Human migration, protected areas, and conservation outreach in Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Salerno, Jonathan D; Borgerhoff Mulder, Monique; Kefauver, Shawn C

    2014-06-01

    A recent discussion debates the extent of human in-migration around protected areas (PAs) in the tropics. One proposed argument is that rural migrants move to bordering areas to access conservation outreach benefits. A counter proposal maintains that PAs have largely negative effects on local populations and that outreach initiatives even if successful present insufficient benefits to drive in-migration. Using data from Tanzania, we examined merits of statistical tests and spatial methods used previously to evaluate migration near PAs and applied hierarchical modeling with appropriate controls for demographic and geographic factors to advance the debate. Areas bordering national parks in Tanzania did not have elevated rates of in-migration. Low baseline population density and high vegetation productivity with low interannual variation rather than conservation outreach explained observed migration patterns. More generally we argue that to produce results of conservation policy significance, analyses must be conducted at appropriate scales, and we caution against use of demographic data without appropriate controls when drawing conclusions about migration dynamics. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

  16. Developing Smartphone Apps for Education, Outreach, Science, and Engineering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weatherwax, A. T.; Fitzsimmons, Z.; Czajkowski, J.; Breimer, E.; Hellman, S. B.; Hunter, S.; Dematteo, J.; Savery, T.; Melsert, K.; Sneeringer, J.

    2010-12-01

    The increased popularity of mobile phone apps provide scientists with a new avenue for sharing and distributing data and knowledge with colleagues, while also providing meaningful education and outreach products for consumption by the general public. Our initial development of iPhone and Android apps centered on the distribution of exciting auroral images taken at the South Pole for education and outreach purposes. These portable platforms, with limited resources when compared to computers, presented a unique set of design and implementation challenges that we will discuss in this presentation. For example, the design must account for limited memory; screen size; processing power; battery life; and potentially high data transport costs. Some of these unique requirements created an environment that enabled undergraduate and high-school students to participate in the creation of these apps. Additionally, during development it became apparent that these apps could also serve as data analysis and engineering tools. Our presentation will further discuss our plans to use apps not only for Education and Public Outreach, but for teaching, science and engineering.

  17. Community Outreach and Education on Soil Fumigants

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Information on how outreach programs can help address the risk of bystander exposure by educating community members about fumigants, buffer zones, how to recognize warning signs, and how to respond appropriately in case of an incident.

  18. Elementary Preservice Teachers' and Elementary Inservice Teachers' Knowledge of Mathematical Modeling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwerdtfeger, Sara

    2017-01-01

    This study examined the differences in knowledge of mathematical modeling between a group of elementary preservice teachers and a group of elementary inservice teachers. Mathematical modeling has recently come to the forefront of elementary mathematics classrooms because of the call to add mathematical modeling tasks in mathematics classes through…

  19. Typology of Ohio, USA, Tree Farmers Based Upon Forestry Outreach Needs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Starr, SE; McConnell, TE; Bruskotter, JS; Williams, RA

    2015-02-01

    This study differentiated groups of Ohio tree farmers through multivariate clustering of their perceived needs for forest management outreach. Tree farmers were surveyed via a mailed questionnaire. Respondents were asked to rate, on a 1-7 scale, their informational needs for 26 outreach topics, which were reduced to six factors. Based on these factors, three clusters were identified—holistic managers, environmental stewards, and pragmatic tree farmers. Cluster assignment of individuals was dependent upon a tree farmer's age, acreage owned, and number of years enrolled in the American Tree Farm System. Holistic managers showed a greater interest in the outreach topics while pragmatic tree farmers displayed an overall lesser interest. Across clusters, print media and in-person workshops were preferred over emails and webinars for receiving forest management information. In-person workshops should be no more than 1 day events, held on a weekday, during the daytime, at a cost not exceeding 35. Programming related to environmental influences, which included managing for forest insects and diseases, was concluded to have the greater potential to impact clientele among all outreach factors due to the information being applicable across demographics and/or management objectives.

  20. 12 CFR 361.4 - What contracts are eligible for this outreach program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What contracts are eligible for this outreach program? 361.4 Section 361.4 Banks and Banking FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION REGULATIONS AND STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY MINORITY AND WOMEN OUTREACH PROGRAM CONTRACTING § 361.4 What contracts are...

  1. Documentation as Problem Solving for Literacy Outreach Programs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Girill, T R

    2004-07-06

    Age-appropriate technical writing lessons for underperforming high-school students can offer them an innovative, ''authentic'' way to improve how they read and write. Thus the techniques and principles of effective technical communication routinely applied at work also provide a positive response to one of today's great educational challenges. This workshop shows participants how to (1) introduce English and science teachers to the value of technical writing as a response to school literacy problems, (2) prepare plausible practice exercises to help students improve their basic literacy, and (3) recognize and respond to known literacy outreach pitfalls. Every effective literacy outreach project basedmore » on technical writing needs to address four key problems.« less

  2. Comparative Analysis of Fusion Center Outreach to Fire and EMS Agencies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-12-01

    ANALYSIS OF FUSION CENTER OUTREACH TO FIRE AND EMS AGENCIES by Scott E. Goldstein December 2015 Thesis Advisor: Fathali Moghaddam Second...REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FUSION CENTER OUTREACH TO FIRE AND EMS AGENCIES 5...public release; distribution is unlimited 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE A 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) Fire and EMS responders have had little

  3. The Efforts of the American Geophysical Union Space Physics and Aeronomy Section Education and Public Outreach Committee to Use NASA Research in Education and Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bering, E. A., III; Dusenbery, P.; Gross, N. A.; Johnson, R.; Lopez, R. E.; Lysak, R. L.; Moldwin, M.; Morrow, C. A.; Nichols-Yehling, M.; Peticolas, L. M.; Reiff, P. H.; Scherrer, D. K.; Thieman, J.; Wawro, M.; Wood, E. L.

    2017-12-01

    The American Geophysical Union Space Physics and Aeronomy Section Education and Public Outreach Committee (AGU SPA-EPO Committee) was established in 1990 to foster the growth of a culture of outreach and community engagement within the SPA Section of the AGU. The SPA was the first AGU Section to establish an EPO Committee. The Committee has initiated several key Section EPO programs that have grown to become Union programs. NASA sponsored research is central to the mission of the SPE-EPO. Programs highlighting NASA research include the Student Paper Competition, Exploration Station, a precursor to the GIFT workshops, the Student mixer, and more. The Committee played a key role in coordinating the AGU's outreach activities relating to the International Heliophysical Year in 2007-2008. This paper will review the triumphs, the failures, and the lessons learned about recruiting colleagues to join with us from the last quarter century of effort.

  4. Astronomy Outreach Activites through the University of California, Irvine

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thornton, Carol E.; Smecker-Hane, T.

    2006-06-01

    We discuss our efforts to bring astronomy to local schools and classrooms through the UCI Astronomy Outreach program. This is part of a faculty-led outreach program entitled Outreach in Astronomy & Astrophysics with the UCI Observatory, funded by an NSF FOCUS grant to the University of California, Irvine. We primarily schedule visits with K-12 teachers in the Compton, Newport/Mesa and Santa Ana Unified School Districts, but often see scout troops and classes from other nearby schools. Often these schools don’t have the funding needed to bring their students to us, so we take small, portable telescopes to the schools, for both day and night visits, to give the students a chance to not only see a telescope, but to use one as well. For the schools that can find transportation to bring their students to campus, we include a tour of our observatory dome housing a 24-inch telescope used for outreach events and undergraduate research. In addition, we give interactive lectures and demonstrations to involve the students and get them excited about careers in science and science in general. We find that we help stimulate discussions before and after our visits, which can often help start or end a unit of astronomy within the schools’ curricula. We show feedback from teachers we have visited including the strengths of the program and suggestions/improvements for the future. For more information, see http://www.physics.uci.edu/%7Eobservat/tour_program.htmlFunding provided by NSF grant EHR-0227202 (PI: Ronald Stern).

  5. Education and Outreach from the End of the Earth

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Landsberg, R. H.

    1998-05-01

    For the past eight years the Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica (CARA) has operated an observatory at the South Pole; and for the past nine years CARA has organized educational and outreach efforts that capitalize on the appeal and uniqueness of Antarctica. CARA's programs have reached all levels of the education continuum with an emphasis on minority precollege students. The kinds of educational activities that have been developed are as varied as the audiences. CARA outreach efforts have included hands-on laboratories, nationally televised events (Live from Antarctica), science camps, web based activities, industrial design courses (Extreme Cold Weather Design at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh), public lectures, and educational trips to the South Pole. We partially attribute the success of such a wide variety of programs to the subject matter. In addition to providing a natural laboratory, the continent of snow and ice is a powerful tool for education and outreach efforts. Antarctica , like dinosaurs, is a topic that perpetually captures the public's imagination. This inherent fascination facilitates outreach efforts, because it helps to surmount that first and most difficult step of gaining attention. Antarctica's lure provides a hook to engage students, researchers in different fields, policy makers and the general public. The continent is a rich source of topics to study as well. Antarctica's geography, climate, unique view of the sky, position on the globe, history, and role in the global environment are compelling topics in the classroom or for informal education. CARA is an NSF Science Technology Center and is headquartered at the University of Chicago.

  6. The 2015 Chile-U.S. Astronomy Education Outreach Summit in Chile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Preston, Sandra Lee; Arnett, Dinah; Hardy, Eduardo; Cabezón, Sergio; Spuck, Tim; Fields, Mary Sue; Smith, R. Chris

    2015-08-01

    The first Chile-U.S. Astronomy Education Outreach Summit occurred March 22-28, 2015. The Summit was organized and supported by the U.S. Embassy in Chile, Associated Universities Inc., Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, the Carnegie Institution for Science, the Image of Chile Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and La Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica. The Summit brought together a team of leading experts and officials from Chile and the U.S. to share best practices in astronomy education and outreach. In addition, Summit participants discussed enhancing existing partnerships, and building new collaborations between U.S. Observatories and astronomy education outreach leaders in Chile.The Summit was an exciting and intense week of work and travel. Discussions opened in Santiago on March 22 with a variety of astronomy education and public outreach work sessions, a public forum, and on March 23 the U.S. Embassy sponsored a Star Party. On Tuesday, March 24, the Summit moved to San Pedro de Atacama, where activities included work sessions, a visit to the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array telescope facilities, and a second public forum. From San Pedro, the team traveled to La Serena for additional work sessions, visits to Gemini and Cerro Tololo, a third public forum, and the closing session. At each stop, authorities and the broader community were invited to participate and provide valuable input on the current state, and the future, of astronomy education and public outreach.Following the Summit a core working committee has continued meeting to draft a “roadmap document” based on findings from the Summit. This document will help to identify potential gaps in astronomy outreach efforts, and how the U.S. facilities and Chilean institutions might work together strategically to address these needs. The first draft of this “roadmap document” will be made available for comment in both Spanish and

  7. What Do Subject Matter Experts Have to Say about Participating in Education and Outreach?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Manning, Colleen; NASA's Universe of Learning Team

    2018-01-01

    NASA’s Universe of Learning partners wish to actively engage with Subject Matter Experts (scientists and engineers) throughout the design, development, and delivery of products, programs, and professional development. In order to ensure these engagement efforts aligned with the needs of Subject Matter Experts, the external evaluators conducted an online survey. The subject pool included the scientists and engineers employed at the partner organizations as well as other scientists and engineers affiliated with NASA’s Astrophysics missions and research programs. This presentation will describe scientists’/engineers’ interest in various types of education/outreach, their availability to participate in education/outreach, factors that would encourage their participation in education/outreach, and the preparation and support they have for participation in education/outreach.

  8. Indian Outreach Program Needs Assessment Survey.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Decker, Don

    The Indian Outreach Program developed a questionnaire to determine the perceived postsecondary educational needs of Indian high school students and the students' perceptions of Yavapai College and its services. Nine hundred fifty surveys were mailed to high schools in the area served by the college; 328 useable questionnaires were obtained from…

  9. Global Outreach: Formal and Non-Formal Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Mary Oakes; Bradsher, Monica

    "Global outreach" refers to the international delivery of education, health, public information, commercial, and other services using appropriate communications technology. International organizations are partnering in various ways with developing-country governments, private companies, local communities, and non-governmental…

  10. The Education and Public Outreach Program at the University of Virginia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Murphy, E. M.; Rood, R. T.; Patterson, R. J.

    2003-12-01

    The Department of Astronomy at the University of Virginia has embarked on an ambitious program to expand their education and public outreach (E/PO) program. The comprehensive program addresses undergraduate education for non-science majors, teacher professional development, outreach programs for local schools, informal science education through collaborations with museums, and outreach through the public night program at McCormick Observatory. This poster presents example programs and their outcomes, including funding and staffing strategies. We believe that this E/PO program could serve as a model for other departments wishing to begin, or expand, an E/PO program. The E/PO program has been supported by funding from the Celerity Foundation, the University of Virginia, and NASA E/PO supplements to Chandra, HST, SIM, and FUSE science programs.

  11. The organizations for space education and outreach programs in the Republic of Korea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Jeongwon; Jo, Hyun-Jung; Choi, Jae Dong

    2011-09-01

    Korea has a short history in space development compared to neighboring countries like Japan, China, India and Russia. During the past 20 years, Korea has focused on developing satellite and rocket space technology under the national space development plan. KOMPSAT-1 and 2, and KSLV-1 are the results of the selection and concentration policy of the Korean government. Due to the arduous mission of developing hardware oriented space technology, the topic of space education and outreach for the general public has not received much in the national space program. But recently, the Korean government has begun planning a space science outreach program in the detailed action plan of the mid-long term national space development plan. This paper introduces and analyzes the organizations performing space education and outreach programs for primary and secondary schools in the Republic of Korea. "Young Astronaut Korea (YAK)" is one such program. This is a non-profit organization established to provide space education for students in 1989 when Korea just started its space development program. "YAK" is a unique group in Korea for space education and outreach activities because it is organized by branches at each school in the nation and it is much like the Boy Scout and Girl Scout programs. Space Science Museum and National Youth Space Center (NYSC), which are located near NARO space center in the southernmost part of the Korean peninsula are other examples of space education and outreach programs. NARO space center, which is the only launch site in Korea became the center of public interest by showing the KSLV-1 launch in 2009 and will be expected to play a key role for the space education of students in the Republic of Korea. The NYSC will perform many mission oriented space education programs for students as Space Camp in the USA does. This paper introduces the status of the space education and outreach programs of each organization and presents the future direction of space

  12. Improving Outreach and Surveillance Efforts Following a Large-Scale Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Wisconsin.

    PubMed

    Creswell, Paul D; Vogt, Christy M; Wozniak, Ryan J; Camponeschi, Jenny; Werner, Mark A; Meiman, Jonathan G

    In December 2014, the largest carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in Wisconsin's history occurred at an ice arena. Following this event, the Wisconsin Environmental Public Health Tracking (WI EPHT) Program sought to improve outreach and surveillance efforts. WI EPHT designed and distributed educational materials on CO poisoning prevention and surveyed stakeholders to gauge the effectiveness of outreach efforts. To enhance surveillance, WI EPHT utilized data from the Wisconsin Poison Center (WPC) to generate real-time alerts of anomalous numbers of CO-related calls. WI EPHT found that 42% of stakeholders reviewed the outreach materials, and 1 ice arena had installed a CO detector as a result. CO alerts were developed using WPC data and are now routinely used in statewide public health surveillance. WI EPHT staff improved CO poisoning prevention outreach and saw a positive response among stakeholders. This work demonstrates ways that health agencies can improve outreach and surveillance for CO poisoning. Improvements in these areas can bolster public health response and may prevent CO-related illness and injury.

  13. GeneLab: Open Science For Exploration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Galazka, Jonathan

    2018-01-01

    The NASA GeneLab project capitalizes on multi-omic technologies to maximize the return on spaceflight experiments. The GeneLab project houses spaceflight and spaceflight-relevant multi-omics data in a publicly accessible data commons, and collaborates with NASA-funded principal investigators to maximize the omics data from spaceflight and spaceflight-relevant experiments. I will discuss the current status of GeneLab and give specific examples of how the GeneLab data system has been used to gain insight into how biology responds to spaceflight conditions.

  14. A Museum Learning Lab

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vandiver, Kathleen M.; Bijur, Jon Markowitz; Epstein, Ari W.; Rosenthal, Beryl; Stidsen, Don

    2008-01-01

    The "Learning Lab: The Cell" exhibit was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Museum and the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS). Specially designed for middle and high school students, the Learning Lab provides museum visitors of all ages with fascinating insights into how our living cells work. The…

  15. A randomized community trial of enhanced family planning outreach in Rakai, Uganda.

    PubMed

    Lutalo, Tom; Kigozi, Godfrey; Kimera, Edward; Serwadda, David; Wawer, Maria J; Zabin, Laurie Schwab; Gray, Ronald H

    2010-03-01

    A randomized community trial of a family planning outreach program was conducted in Rakai District, Uganda. Five communities received standard services; six intervention communities received additional family planning information, counseling, and contraceptive methods from government service providers and community-based volunteer agents using social marketing and other strategies. Condom use was promoted in all of the communities. The community-based family planning outreach program was implemented in two phases--1999-2000 (early) and 2001(late)--and its impact was evaluated by means of population surveys in 2002-03. At follow-up, hormonal contraceptive prevalence was 23 percent in the intervention communities, compared with 20 percent in the control communities. The differential was greater in the early-intervention communities than the late-intervention communities. Pregnancy rates at follow-up were 15 percent in the control and 13 percent in the intervention communities. No differentials in condom use were found between study arms. Family planning outreach via social marketing can significantly increase hormonal contraceptive use and decrease pregnancy rates, but the impact of this outreach program was modest.

  16. Community outreach: rural mobile health unit.

    PubMed

    Alexy, B B; Elnitsky, C A

    1996-12-01

    With the increased emphasis on cost containment, hospital administrators are investigating community outreach projects to remain economically viable. The authors describe the planning and implementation of a mobile health unit for rural elderly residents. This project represents an alternative model of healthcare delivery in a rural area with limited resources and healthcare providers.

  17. A Framework for Outreach Evaluation Plans

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raven, Neil

    2015-01-01

    Much importance is now placed upon the evaluation of outreach interventions by higher education institutions (HEIs). Accompanying this focus are requests that HEIs prepare evaluation plans. Yet, whilst some now have plans in place, others do not. One of the challenges for those preparing such documents is that official guidance is not prescriptive…

  18. Making Outreach Visible: A Guide to Documenting Professional Service and Outreach. AAHE Forum on Faculty Roles and Rewards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Driscoll, Amy; Lynton, Ernest A.

    This guidebook is intended to help faculty and administrators, and departments and schools, document faculty professional service and outreach, offering detailed examples of work from various universities. Following a Foreword by R. Eugene Rice, short introductory chapters make the case for professional service, define professional…

  19. The Rocks From Space outreach initiative and The Space Safari: the development of virtual learning environments for planetary science outreach in the UK.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pearson, V. K.; Greenwood, R. C.; Bridges, J.; Watson, J.; Brooks, V.

    The Rocks From Space outreach initiative and The Space Safari: the development of virtual learning environments for planetary science outreach in the UK. V.K. Pearson (1), R.C. Greenwood (1), J. Bridges (1), J. Watson (2) and V. Brooks (2) (1) Plantetary and Space Sciences Research Institute (PSSRI), The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA. (2) Stockton-on-Tees City Learning Centre, Marsh House Avenue, Billingham, TS23 3QJ. (v.k.pearson@open.ac.uk Fax: +44 (0) 858022 Phone: +44 (0) 1908652814 The Rocks From Space (RFS) project is a PPARC and Open University supported planetary science outreach initiative. It capitalises on the successes of Open University involvement in recent space missions such as Genesis and Stardust which have brought planetary science to the forefront of public attention.Our traditional methods of planetary science outreach have focussed on activities such as informal school visits and public presentations. However, these traditional methods are often limited to a local area to fit within time and budget constraints and therefore RFS looks to new technologies to reach geographically dispersed audiences. In collaboration with Stockton-on-Tees City Learning Centre, we have conducted a pilot study into the use of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) for planetary science outreach. The pilot study was undertaken under the guise of a "Space Safari" in which pupils dispersed across the Teesside region of the UK could collaboratively explore the Solar System. Over 300 students took part in the pilot from 11 primary schools (ages 6-10). Resources for their exploration were provided by Open University scientists in Milton Keynes and hosted on the VLE. Students were encouraged to post their findings, ideas and questions via wikis and a VLE forum. This combination of contributions from students, teachers and scientists encouraged a collaborative learning environment. These asynchronous activities were complemented by synchronous virtual classroom

  20. Service distribution and models of rural outreach by specialist doctors in Australia: a national cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    O'Sullivan, Belinda G; McGrail, Matthew R; Joyce, Catherine M; Stoelwinder, Johannes

    2016-06-01

    Objective This paper describes the service distribution and models of rural outreach by specialist doctors living in metropolitan or rural locations. Methods The present study was a national cross-sectional study of 902 specialist doctors providing 1401 rural outreach services in the Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life study, 2008. Five mutually exclusive models of rural outreach were studied. Results Nearly half of the outreach services (585/1401; 42%) were provided to outer regional or remote locations, most (58%) by metropolitan specialists. The most common model of outreach was drive-in, drive-out (379/902; 42%). In comparison, metropolitan-based specialists were less likely to provide hub-and-spoke models of service (odd ratio (OR) 0.31; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.21-0.46) and more likely to provide fly-in, fly-out models of service (OR 4.15; 95% CI 2.32-7.42). The distance travelled by metropolitan specialists was not affected by working in the public or private sector. However, rural-based specialists were more likely to provide services to nearby towns if they worked privately. Conclusions Service distribution and models of outreach vary according to where specialists live as well as the practice sector of rural specialists. Multilevel policy and planning is needed to manage the risks and benefits of different service patterns by metropolitan and rural specialists so as to promote integrated and accessible services. What is known about this topic? There are numerous case studies describing outreach by specialist doctors. However, there is no systematic evidence describing the distribution of rural outreach services and models of outreach by specialists living in different locations and the broad-level factors that affect this. What does this paper add? The present study provides the first description of outreach service distribution and models of rural outreach by specialist doctors living in rural versus metropolitan areas. It shows

  1. Elementary GLOBE: Inquiring About the Earth System Through Elementary Student Investigations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henderson, S.; Hatheway, B.; Gardiner, L.; Gallagher, S.

    2006-12-01

    Elementary GLOBE was designed to introduce K-4 students to the study of Earth System Science (ESS). Elementary GLOBE forms an instructional unit comprised of five modules that address ESS and interrelated subjects including weather, hydrology, seasons, and soils. Each Elementary GLOBE module contains a science based storybook, classroom learning activities that complement the science content covered in each book, and teacher's notes. The storybooks explore a component of the Earth system and the associated classroom learning activities provide students with a meaningful introduction to technology, a basic understanding of the methods of inquiry, and connection to math and literacy skills. The science content in the books and activities serves as a springboard to GLOBE's scientific protocols. All Elementary GLOBE materials are freely downloadable (www.globe.gov/elementaryglobe) The use of science storybooks with elementary students has proven to be an effective practice in exposing students to science content while providing opportunities for students to improve their reading, writing, and oral communication skills. The Elementary GLOBE storybooks portray kids asking questions about the natural world, doing science investigations, and exploring the world around them. Through the storybook characters, scientific inquiry is modeled for young learners. The associated learning activities provide opportunities for students to practice science inquiry and investigation skills, including observation, recording, measuring, etc. Students also gain exposure and increase their comfort with different tools that scientists use. The learning activities give students experiences with asking questions, conducting scientific investigations, and scientific journaling. Elementary GLOBE fills an important niche in K-4 instruction. The international GLOBE Program brings together students, teachers, and scientists with the basic goals of increasing scientific understanding of the Earth

  2. Lab-on a-Chip

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    Helen Cole, the project manager for the Lab-on-a-Chip Applications Development program, and Lisa Monaco, the project scientist for the program, insert a lab on a chip into the Caliper 42 which is specialized equipment that controls processes on commercial chips to support development of lab-on-a-chip applications. The system has special microscopes and imaging systems, so scientists can process and study different types of fluid, chemical, and medical tests conducted on chips. For example, researchers have examined fluorescent bacteria as it flows through the chips' fluid channels or microfluidic capillaries. Researchers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, have been studying how the lab-on-a-chip technology can be used for microbial detection, water quality monitoring, and detecting biosignatures of past or present life on Mars. The Marshall Center team is also collaborating with scientists at other NASA centers and at universities to develop custom chip designs for not only space applications, but for many Earth applications, such as for detecting deadly microbes in heating and air systems. (NASA/MSFC/D.Stoffer)

  3. Assertive outreach handbook will aid mental health staff in maintaining client engagement.

    PubMed

    Gregory, Nathan; Macpherson, Rob

    The model of assertive outreach is one of the most internationally researched areas of community mental healthcare. An assertive outreach team at a mental health trust developed a handbook on the model, involving contributions from service users, carers, local clinicians and the voluntary sector. This article outlines the process of developing the handbook, summarises its content and user feedback.

  4. Chemistry Outreach Project to High Schools Using a Mobile Chemistry Laboratory, ChemKits, and Teacher Workshops

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Long, Gary L.; Bailey, Carol A.; Bunn, Barbara B.; Slebodnick, Carla; Johnson, Michael R.; Derozier, Shad

    2012-01-01

    The Chemistry Outreach Program (ChOP) of Virginia Tech was a university-based outreach program that addressed the needs of high school chemistry classes in underfunded rural and inner-city school districts. The primary features of ChOP were a mobile chemistry laboratory (MCL), a shipping-based outreach program (ChemKits), and teacher workshops.…

  5. Association between Municipal Health Promotion Volunteers' Health Literacy and Their Level of Outreach Activities in Japan.

    PubMed

    Taguchi, Atsuko; Murayama, Hiroshi; Murashima, Sachiyo

    2016-01-01

    To explore the association between health literacy and levels of three types of core activities among health promotion volunteers (developing a healthy lifestyle, outreach to family, and outreach to community members). A cross-sectional, anonymous, self-administered postal survey of registered health promotion volunteers in the Konan area in Shiga Prefecture in Japan, conducted in January 2010. The study sample was 575 registered health promotion volunteers. The survey collected data on health literacy, gender, age, education, self-rated health, perceptions about the volunteer organization, and perceptions of recognition in the community. The level of engagement in health promotion activities was measured by the extent to which the participants engaged in seven healthy behaviors and promoted them to family members and the community. The authors compared the health literacy level and other characteristics of the participants by core health promotion activities, using a chi-squared test, to examine the associations between demographic and other variables and the three core activities (healthy lifestyle, outreach to family, and outreach to community).Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between the degree to which the volunteers engaged in core activities ("healthy lifestyle," "outreach to family," "outreach to community") and the levels of health literacy (low, medium, high) among health promotion volunteers, controlling for the effects of age, gender, health condition, education which may also have an impact on volunteers' outreach activities. Four hundred and fifty-four questionnaires were returned, a 79.0% response rate. Excluding 16 cases with missing values on health literacy or the degree of health promotion activities, 438 research subjects were included in the analysis (valid response rate: 76.2%). Health literacy and a few demographic and other characteristics of the volunteers were associated with the three core health

  6. Outreach invitations for FIT and colonoscopy improve colorectal cancer screening rates: A randomized controlled trial in a safety-net health system.

    PubMed

    Singal, Amit G; Gupta, Samir; Tiro, Jasmin A; Skinner, Celette Sugg; McCallister, Katharine; Sanders, Joanne M; Bishop, Wendy Pechero; Agrawal, Deepak; Mayorga, Christian A; Ahn, Chul; Loewen, Adam C; Santini, Noel O; Halm, Ethan A

    2016-02-01

    The effectiveness of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is limited by underuse, particularly among underserved populations. Among a racially diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged cohort of patients, the authors compared the effectiveness of fecal immunochemical test (FIT) outreach and colonoscopy outreach to increase screening participation rates, compared with usual visit-based care. Patients aged 50 to 64 years who were not up-to-date with CRC screening but used primary care services in a large safety-net health system were randomly assigned to mailed FIT outreach (2400 patients), mailed colonoscopy outreach (2400 patients), or usual care with opportunistic visit-based screening (1199 patients). Patients who did not respond to outreach invitations within 2 weeks received follow-up telephone reminders. The primary outcome was CRC screening completion within 12 months after randomization. Baseline patient characteristics across the 3 groups were similar. Using intention-to-screen analysis, screening participation rates were higher for FIT outreach (58.8%) and colonoscopy outreach (42.4%) than usual care (29.6%) (P <.001 for both). Screening participation with FIT outreach was higher than that for colonoscopy outreach (P <.001). Among responders, FIT outreach had a higher percentage of patients who responded before reminders (59.0% vs 29.7%; P <.001). Nearly one-half of patients in the colonoscopy outreach group crossed over to complete FIT via usual care, whereas <5% of patients in the FIT outreach group underwent usual-care colonoscopy. Mailed outreach invitations appear to significantly increase CRC screening rates among underserved populations. In the current study, FIT-based outreach was found to be more effective than colonoscopy-based outreach to increase 1-time screening participation. Studies with longer follow-up are needed to compare the effectiveness of outreach strategies for promoting completion of the entire screening process. © 2015 American

  7. ERLN Lab Compendium Fact Sheet

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Compendium is an online database of environmental testing laboratories nationwide. It enables labs to create profiles of their capabilities, so emergency responders can quickly identify a lab that will meet their support needs.

  8. Physics Labs with Flavor

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agrest, Mikhail M.

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes my attempts to look deeper into the so-called "shoot for your grade" labs, started in the '90s, when I began applying my teaching experience in Russia to introductory physics labs at the College of Charleston and other higher education institutions in South Carolina. The term "shoot for your grade" became popular among…

  9. Making Real Virtual Labs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keller, Harry E.; Keller, Edward E.

    2005-01-01

    Francis Bacon began defining scientific methodology in the early 17th century, and secondary school science classes began to implement science labs in the mid-19th century. By the early 20th century, leading educators were suggesting that science labs be used to develop scientific thinking habits in young students, and at the beginning of the 21st…

  10. NOT Another Lab Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ende, Fred

    2012-01-01

    Ask students to name the aspects of science class they enjoy most, and working on labs will undoubtedly be mentioned. What often won't be included, however, is writing lab reports. For many students, the process of exploration and data collection is paramount, while the explanation and analysis of findings often takes a backseat. After all, if…

  11. Are Virtual Labs as Effective as Hands-on Labs for Undergraduate Physics? A Comparative Study at Two Major Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Darrah, Marjorie; Humbert, Roxann; Finstein, Jeanne; Simon, Marllin; Hopkins, John

    2014-01-01

    Most physics professors would agree that the lab experiences students have in introductory physics are central to the learning of the concepts in the course. It is also true that these physics labs require time and money for upkeep, not to mention the hours spent setting up and taking down labs. Virtual physics lab experiences can provide an…

  12. The Development of MSFC Usability Lab

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cheng, Yiwei; Richardson, Sally

    2010-01-01

    This conference poster reviews the development of the usability lab at Marshall Space Flight Center. The purpose of the lab was to integrate a fully functioning usability laboratory to provide a resource for future human factor assessments. and to implement preliminary usability testing on a MSFC website to validate the functionality of the lab.

  13. Reaching out to the Underserved: More than Thirty Years of Outreach Job Ads

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boff, Colleen; Singer, Carol; Stearns, Beverly

    2006-01-01

    Contents of outreach position announcements posted in "College and Research Libraries News" from 1970 through 2004 were examined. Ads fell within three broad groups: distance education, multicultural services, and specialized. Overall, outreach positions have been on the rise with the exception of multicultural services librarian positions that…

  14. Reaching for the Stars in your Golden Years: The Importance of Outreach for Senior Citizens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rapson, Valerie

    2015-01-01

    Astronomy outreach is often conducted in science classrooms, museums, observatories, and even at the local park. The intended audiences are usually families with young children, who we are training to be the next generation of scientists, inventors and world-changers. Science outreach is rarely geared towards senior citizens, and yet this group can be the most receptive audience, willing to share past experiences and engage in learning. Educating our seniors about astronomy, especially current discoveries, upcoming technology, and funding challenges, is of the utmost importance. Here, I share my experience conducting astronomy outreach at senior living communities in Rochester, NY as part of their Lifelong Learning initiative, and discuss why this type of outreach is important.

  15. Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

    Science.gov Websites

    Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab A-Z Index Phone Book Jobs Search DOE Search MSD Go MSD - Materials Investigators Division Staff Facilities and Centers Staff Jobs Safety Personnel Resources Committees In Case of

  16. The science of science outreach: methods to maximise audience engagement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adamson, Kathryn; Lane, Timothy

    2016-04-01

    Effective public engagement relies on a clear understanding of public audiences; their existing knowledge base and their learning preferences. Scientific content that is effective in academic spheres is not necessarily popular in the public domain. This may be due to content (e.g. beginner level to advanced terminology); presentation style (graphical, text, multimedia); audience demographic (children to adults); and entertainment value. Over the last few years, there has been a major expansion in the quantity and quality of science outreach material. For scientists, the production of outreach material, in any form, is the first giant leap to disseminating their knowledge to broader audiences. However, there is also a need to evaluate the performance of outreach material, so that its content and delivery style can be tailored and maximised for the target audience. We examine the Google Analytics data for climate science outreach website Climatica over a 12 month period in 2015. The site publishes regular posts, which take the form of short written articles, graphics, videos, or teaching resources, on all aspects of climate science. The site is publicised via social media including Twitter and Facebook. In particular, we assess website performance, in terms of website visits and post engagement. These are examined in the context of: post topic, post style, social media engagement, and the timing of post publication/advertisement. The findings of this investigation are used to explore audience preferences and mechanisms for future post development to maximise the use of this web resource.

  17. Labs That Are a Blast.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hendrix, Laura

    1996-01-01

    Presents activities that use a simple homemade apparatus called "the cannon" to demonstrate Newton's Third Law. Reviews the chemistry concepts behind the ignition of the cannon and presents the Momentum Lab and the Projectile Motion Lab. (JRH)

  18. Preparing University Students to Lead K-12 Engineering Outreach Programmes: A Design Experiment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anthony, Anika B.; Greene, Howard; Post, Paul E.; Parkhurst, Andrew; Zhan, Xi

    2016-01-01

    This paper describes an engineering outreach programme designed to increase the interest of under-represented youth in engineering and to disseminate pre-engineering design challenge materials to K-12 educators and volunteers. Given university students' critical role as facilitators of the outreach programme, researchers conducted a two-year…

  19. 12 CFR 906.10 - Why does the Finance Board have this outreach program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Why does the Finance Board have this outreach program? 906.10 Section 906.10 Banks and Banking FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OPERATIONS Contractor Outreach Program for Businesses Owned by...

  20. Science after School: Way Cool! A Course-Based Approach to Teaching Science Outreach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curtis, Kathleen S.

    2017-01-01

    Outreach efforts directed toward improving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) literacy are vitally important to ensure that all of our citizens are prepared to fully participate in an increasingly complex and technology-driven world. Attempts to maximize the effectiveness of STEM outreach has focused on younger populations,…

  1. The Gaia mission a rich resource for outreach activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O'Flaherty, K. S.; Douglas, J.; Prusti, T.

    2008-07-01

    Space science missions, and astronomy missions in particular, capture the public imagination at all levels. ESA's Gaia mission is no exception to this. In addition to its key scientific goal of providing new insight into the origin, formation, and evolution of the Milky Way, Gaia also touches on many other scientific topics of broad appeal, for example, solar system objects, stars (including rare and exotic ones), dark matter, gravitational light bending. The mission naturally provides a rich resource for outreach possibilities whether it be to the general public, or to specific interest groups, such as scientists from other fields or educators. We present some examples of possible outreach activities for Gaia.

  2. The League of Astronomers: Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paat, Anthony; Brandel, A.; Schmitz, D.; Sharma, R.; Thomas, N. H.; Trujillo, J.; Laws, C. S.; Astronomers, League of

    2014-01-01

    The University of Washington League of Astronomers (LOA) is an organization comprised of University of Washington (UW) undergraduate students. Our main goal is to share our interest in astronomy with the UW community and with the general public. The LOA hosts star parties on the UW campus and collaborates with the Seattle Astronomical Society (SAS) on larger Seattle-area star parties. At the star parties, we strive to teach our local community about what they can view in our night sky. LOA members share knowledge of how to locate constellations and use a star wheel. The relationship the LOA has with members of SAS increases both the number of events and people we are able to reach. Since the cloudy skies of the Northwest prevent winter star parties, we therefore focus our outreach on the UW Mobile Planetarium, an inflatable dome system utilizing Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope (WWT) software. The mobile planetarium brings astronomy into the classrooms of schools unable to travel to the UW on-campus planetarium. Members of the LOA volunteer their time towards this project and we make up the majority of the Mobile Planetarium volunteers. Our outreach efforts allow us to connect with the community and enhance our own knowledge of astronomy.

  3. Advanced Integration Matrix Education Outreach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paul Heather L.

    2004-01-01

    The Advanced Integration Matrix (AIM) will design a ground-based test facility for developing revolutionary integrated systems for joint human-robotic missions in order to study and solve systems-level integration issues for exploration missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This paper describes development plans for educational outreach activities related to technological and operational integration scenarios similar to the challenges that will be encountered through this project. The education outreach activities will provide hands-on, interactive exercises to allow students of all levels to experience design and operational challenges similar to what NASA deals with everyday in performing the integration of complex missions. These experiences will relate to and impact students everyday lives by demonstrating how their interests in science and engineering can develop into future careers, and reinforcing the concepts of teamwork and conflict resolution. Allowing students to experience and contribute to real-world development, research, and scientific studies of ground-based simulations for complex exploration missions will stimulate interest in the space program, and bring NASA's challenges to the student level. By enhancing existing educational programs and developing innovative activities and presentations, AIM will support NASA s endeavor to "inspire the next generation of explorers.. .as only NASA can."

  4. Program Spotlight: National Outreach Network's Community Health Educators

    Cancer.gov

    National Outreach Network of Community Health Educators located at Community Network Program Centers, Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity, and NCI-designated cancer centers help patients and their families receive survivorship support.

  5. The NASA SMD Science Education and Public Outreach Forums: Engaging Scientists in NASA Education and Public Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Denise A.; Peticolas, L.; Schwerin, T.; Shipp, S.

    2014-01-01

    The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program provides a direct return on the public’s investment in NASA’s science missions and research programs through a comprehensive suite of educational resources and opportunities for students, educators, and the public. Four Science Education and Public Outreach Forums work with SMD-funded missions, research programs, and grantees to organize individual E/PO activities into a coordinated, effective, and efficient nationwide effort, with easy entry points for scientists, educators, and the public. We outline the Forums’ role in 1) facilitating communication and collaboration among SMD E/PO programs, scientists, and educators; 2) supporting utilization of best practices and educational research; 3) creating clear paths of involvement for scientists interested in SMD E/PO; and, 4) enabling efficient and effective use of NASA content and education products. Our work includes a cross-Forum collaboration to inventory existing SMD education materials; identify and analyze gaps; and interconnect and organize materials in an accessible manner for multiple audiences. The result is NASAWavelength.org, a one-stop-shop for all NASA SMD education products, including tools to help users identify resources based upon their needs and national education standards. The Forums have also collaborated with the SMD E/PO community to provide a central point of access to metrics, evaluation findings, and impacts for SMD-funded E/PO programs (http://smdepo.org/page/5324). We also present opportunities for the astronomy community to participate in collaborations supporting NASA SMD efforts in the K - 12 Formal Education, Informal Education and Outreach, Higher Education and Research Scientist communities. See Bartolone et al., Lawton et al., Meinke et al., and Buxner et al. (this conference), respectively, to learn about Forum resources and opportunities specific to each of these communities.

  6. RoboLab and virtual environments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Giarratano, Joseph C.

    1994-01-01

    A useful adjunct to the manned space station would be a self-contained free-flying laboratory (RoboLab). This laboratory would have a robot operated under telepresence from the space station or ground. Long duration experiments aboard RoboLab could be performed by astronauts or scientists using telepresence to operate equipment and perform experiments. Operating the lab by telepresence would eliminate the need for life support such as food, water and air. The robot would be capable of motion in three dimensions, have binocular vision TV cameras, and two arms with manipulators to simulate hands. The robot would move along a two-dimensional grid and have a rotating, telescoping periscope section for extension in the third dimension. The remote operator would wear a virtual reality type headset to allow the superposition of computer displays over the real-time video of the lab. The operators would wear exoskeleton type arms to facilitate the movement of objects and equipment operation. The combination of video displays, motion, and the exoskeleton arms would provide a high degree of telepresence, especially for novice users such as scientists doing short-term experiments. The RoboLab could be resupplied and samples removed on other space shuttle flights. A self-contained RoboLab module would be designed to fit within the cargo bay of the space shuttle. Different modules could be designed for specific applications, i.e., crystal-growing, medicine, life sciences, chemistry, etc. This paper describes a RoboLab simulation using virtual reality (VR). VR provides an ideal simulation of telepresence before the actual robot and laboratory modules are constructed. The easy simulation of different telepresence designs will produce a highly optimum design before construction rather than the more expensive and time consuming hardware changes afterwards.

  7. A New Approach to Teaching Science to Elementary Education Majors in Response to the NGSS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brevik, C.; Daniels, L.; McCoy, C.

    2015-12-01

    The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) place an equal emphasis on science process skills and science content. The goal is to have K-12 students "doing" science, not just "learning about" science. However, most traditional college science classes for elementary education majors place a much stronger emphasis on science content knowledge with the hands-on portion limited to a once-a-week lab. The two models of instruction are not aligned. The result is that many elementary school teachers are unprepared to offer interactive science with their students. Without additional coaching, many teachers fall back on the format they learned in college - lecture, handouts, homework. If we want teachers to use more hands-on methods in the classroom, these techniques should be taught to elementary education majors when they are in college. Dickinson State University has begun a collaboration between the Teacher Education Department and the Department of Natural Sciences. The physical science course for elementary education majors has been completely redesigned to focus equally on the needed science content and the science process skills emphasized by the NGSS. The format of the course has been adjusted to more closely mirror a traditional K-5 classroom; the course meets for 50 minutes five days a week. A flipped-classroom model has been adopted to ensure no content is lost, and hands-on activities are done almost every day as new concepts are discussed. In order to judge the effectiveness of these changes, a survey tool was administered to determine if there was a shift in the students' perception of science as an active instead of a passive field of study. The survey also measured the students' comfort-level in offering a hands-on learning environment in their future classrooms and their confidence in their ability to effectively teach science concepts to elementary students. Results from the first year of the study will be presented.

  8. Virtual Labs and Virtual Worlds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boehler, Ted

    2006-12-01

    Virtual Labs and Virtual Worlds Coastline Community College has under development several virtual lab simulations and activities that range from biology, to language labs, to virtual discussion environments. Imagine a virtual world that students enter online, by logging onto their computer from home or anywhere they have web access. Upon entering this world they select a personalized identity represented by a digitized character (avatar) that can freely move about, interact with the environment, and communicate with other characters. In these virtual worlds, buildings, gathering places, conference rooms, labs, science rooms, and a variety of other “real world” elements are evident. When characters move about and encounter other people (players) they may freely communicate. They can examine things, manipulate objects, read signs, watch video clips, hear sounds, and jump to other locations. Goals of critical thinking, social interaction, peer collaboration, group support, and enhanced learning can be achieved in surprising new ways with this innovative approach to peer-to-peer communication in a virtual discussion world. In this presentation, short demos will be given of several online learning environments including a virtual biology lab, a marine science module, a Spanish lab, and a virtual discussion world. Coastline College has been a leader in the development of distance learning and media-based education for nearly 30 years and currently offers courses through PDA, Internet, DVD, CD-ROM, TV, and Videoconferencing technologies. Its distance learning program serves over 20,000 students every year. sponsor Jerry Meisner

  9. National Science Resources Center Project for Improving Science Teaching in Elementary Schools. Appendix A. School Systems With Exemplary Elementary Science Programs. Appendix B. Elementary Science Network

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-12-01

    Department Campbell, Judy S., Principal Seedling Mile Elementary School Campbell, Kelly, Vice President International Services, Inc. Campbell, Larry...Agency #5 Coverdale, Miles , Principal Baxter Coveyou, Tony, Cowan, Ann, Education Specialist Hanford Science Center Cowan, Margaret, Cowan, Peggy...Science State Department of Education Ezell, James, No. 92 Elementary School Ezzell , Effie, No. 45 Elementary School 09/03/88 NSRC Elementary Science

  10. 34 CFR 300.13 - Elementary school.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 34 Education 2 2011-07-01 2010-07-01 true Elementary school. 300.13 Section 300.13 Education... DISABILITIES General Definitions Used in This Part § 300.13 Elementary school. Elementary school means a nonprofit institutional day or residential school, including a public elementary charter school, that...

  11. Undergraduates' Perceived Gains and Ideas about Teaching and Learning Science from Participating in Science Education Outreach Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carpenter, Stacey L.

    2015-01-01

    This study examined what undergraduate students gain and the ideas about science teaching and learning they develop from participating in K-12 science education outreach programs. Eleven undergraduates from seven outreach programs were interviewed individually about their experiences with outreach and what they learned about science teaching and…

  12. DOE Building America Stakeholder Outreach and Engagement Highlights: Jan. 1, 2016, through Dec. 31, 2016

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rothgeb, Stacey K

    Fact sheet showing the metrics from calendar year 2016 from Building America's various outreach activities, including website, webinars, publications, etc. Metrics report on data for outreach and stakeholder engagement.

  13. 76 FR 72977 - Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO): Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-28

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO): Meeting AGENCY: Veterans' Employment and Training Service, Labor. ACTION: Notice of open meeting... Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO). The ACVETEO will discuss...

  14. 77 FR 20436 - Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO): Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-04

    ... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO): Meeting AGENCY: Veterans' Employment and Training Service, Labor. ACTION: Notice of open meeting... Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO). The ACVETEO will discuss...

  15. Stepwise approach to establishing multiple outreach laboratory information system-electronic medical record interfaces.

    PubMed

    Pantanowitz, Liron; Labranche, Wayne; Lareau, William

    2010-05-26

    Clinical laboratory outreach business is changing as more physician practices adopt an electronic medical record (EMR). Physician connectivity with the laboratory information system (LIS) is consequently becoming more important. However, there are no reports available to assist the informatician with establishing and maintaining outreach LIS-EMR connectivity. A four-stage scheme is presented that was successfully employed to establish unidirectional and bidirectional interfaces with multiple physician EMRs. This approach involves planning (step 1), followed by interface building (step 2) with subsequent testing (step 3), and finally ongoing maintenance (step 4). The role of organized project management, software as a service (SAAS), and alternate solutions for outreach connectivity are discussed.

  16. Stepwise approach to establishing multiple outreach laboratory information system-electronic medical record interfaces

    PubMed Central

    Pantanowitz, Liron; LaBranche, Wayne; Lareau, William

    2010-01-01

    Clinical laboratory outreach business is changing as more physician practices adopt an electronic medical record (EMR). Physician connectivity with the laboratory information system (LIS) is consequently becoming more important. However, there are no reports available to assist the informatician with establishing and maintaining outreach LIS–EMR connectivity. A four-stage scheme is presented that was successfully employed to establish unidirectional and bidirectional interfaces with multiple physician EMRs. This approach involves planning (step 1), followed by interface building (step 2) with subsequent testing (step 3), and finally ongoing maintenance (step 4). The role of organized project management, software as a service (SAAS), and alternate solutions for outreach connectivity are discussed. PMID:20805958

  17. Activities in GPM Education and Public Outreach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kirschbaum, Dalia

    2011-01-01

    This presentation will discuss the diverse and exciting activities planned for the GPM mission. I will present of our Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) strategy and will then outline our plans for some of the unique initiatives we are developing through this effort.

  18. NASA Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach: The Impact of the Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Denise Anne; Jirdeh, Hussein; Eisenhamer, Bonnie; Villard, Ray; Green, Joel David

    2015-08-01

    As the science operations center for the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) is uniquely positioned to captivate the imagination and inspire learners of all ages in humanity’s quest to understand fundamental questions about our universe and our place in it. This presentation will provide an overview of the impact of the STScI’s Office of Public Outreach’s efforts to engage students, educators, and the public in exploring the universe through audience-based news, education, and outreach programs.At the heart of our programs lies a tight coupling of scientific, education, and communications expertise. By partnering scientists and educators, we assure current, accurate science content and education products and programs that are classroom-ready and held to the highest pedagogical standards. Likewise, news and outreach programs accurately convey cutting-edge science and technology in a way that is attuned to audience needs. The combination of Hubble’s scientific capabilities, majestic imagery, and our deep commitment to create effective programs to share Hubble science with the education community and the public, has enabled the STScI Office of Public Outreach programs to engage 6 million students and ½ million educators per year, and 24 million online viewers per year. Hubble press releases generate approximately 5,000 online news articles per year with an average circulation of 125 million potential readers per press release news story. We will also share how best practices and lessons learned from this long-lived program are already being applied to engage a new generation of explorers in the science and technology of the James Webb Space Telescope.

  19. Science and Me: A Student-Driven Science Outreach Program for Lay Adult Audiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alexander, Hannah; Waldron, Anna M.; Abell, Sandra K.

    2011-01-01

    The increasing need for communicating science to the public suggests that future scientists and science educators should be educated in science outreach and trained to communicate with lay audiences. We present a recently developed novel graduate course, which trains students in outreach efforts aimed to increase the public's understanding of…

  20. Serving first in isolation increases vegetable intake among elementary schoolchildren.

    PubMed

    Redden, Joseph P; Mann, Traci; Vickers, Zata; Mykerezi, Elton; Reicks, Marla; Elsbernd, Stephanie

    2015-01-01

    Many people want to eat healthier, but they often fail in these attempts. We report two field studies in an elementary school cafeteria that each demonstrate children eat more of a vegetable (carrots, broccoli) when we provide it first in isolation versus alongside other more preferred foods. We propose this healthy first approach succeeds by triggering one's inherent motivation to eat a single food placed in front of them, and works even though they have prior knowledge of the full menu available and no real time constraints. Consistent with this theory, and counter to simple contrast effects, an additional lab study found that presenting a food first in isolation had the unique ability to increase intake whether the food was healthy (carrots) or less healthy (M&M's). Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of this simple intervention in promoting healthier eating, which should interest consumers, food marketers, health professionals, and policy makers.

  1. Association between Municipal Health Promotion Volunteers’ Health Literacy and Their Level of Outreach Activities in Japan

    PubMed Central

    Taguchi, Atsuko; Murayama, Hiroshi; Murashima, Sachiyo

    2016-01-01

    Objectives To explore the association between health literacy and levels of three types of core activities among health promotion volunteers (developing a healthy lifestyle, outreach to family, and outreach to community members). Study Design A cross-sectional, anonymous, self-administered postal survey of registered health promotion volunteers in the Konan area in Shiga Prefecture in Japan, conducted in January 2010. The study sample was 575 registered health promotion volunteers. Methods The survey collected data on health literacy, gender, age, education, self-rated health, perceptions about the volunteer organization, and perceptions of recognition in the community. The level of engagement in health promotion activities was measured by the extent to which the participants engaged in seven healthy behaviors and promoted them to family members and the community. The authors compared the health literacy level and other characteristics of the participants by core health promotion activities, using a chi-squared test, to examine the associations between demographic and other variables and the three core activities (healthy lifestyle, outreach to family, and outreach to community).Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between the degree to which the volunteers engaged in core activities (“healthy lifestyle,” “outreach to family,” “outreach to community”) and the levels of health literacy (low, medium, high) among health promotion volunteers, controlling for the effects of age, gender, health condition, education which may also have an impact on volunteers’ outreach activities. Results Four hundred and fifty-four questionnaires were returned, a 79.0% response rate. Excluding 16 cases with missing values on health literacy or the degree of health promotion activities, 438 research subjects were included in the analysis (valid response rate: 76.2%). Health literacy and a few demographic and other characteristics of the

  2. Insights from a national survey into why substance abuse treatment units add prevention and outreach services

    PubMed Central

    Wells, Rebecca; Lemak, Christy Harris; D'Aunno, Thomas A

    2006-01-01

    Background Previous studies have found that even limited prevention-related interventions can affect health behaviors such as substance use and risky sex. Substance abuse treatment providers are ideal candidates to provide these services, but typically have little or no financial incentive to do so. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore why some substance abuse treatment units have added new prevention and outreach services. Based on an ecological framework of organizational strategy, three categories of predictors were tested: (1) environmental, (2) unit-level, and (3) unit leadership. Results A lagged cross-sectional logistic model of 450 outpatient substance abuse treatment units revealed that local per capita income, mental health center affiliation, and clinical supervisors' graduate degrees were positively associated with likelihood of adding prevention-related education and outreach services. Managed care contracts and methadone treatment were negatively associated with addition of these services. No hospital-affiliated agencies added prevention and outreach services during the study period. Conclusion Findings supported the study's ecological perspective on organizational strategy, with factors at environmental, unit, and unit leadership levels associated with additions of prevention and outreach services. Among the significant predictors, ties to managed care payers and unit leadership graduate education emerge as potential leverage points for public policy. In the current sample, units with managed care contracts were less likely to add prevention and outreach services. This is not surprising, given managed care's emphasis on cost control. However, the association with this payment source suggests that public managed care programs might affects prevention and outreach differently through revised incentives. Specifically, government payers could explicitly compensate substance abuse treatment units in managed care contracts for prevention and

  3. Insights from a national survey into why substance abuse treatment units add prevention and outreach services.

    PubMed

    Wells, Rebecca; Lemak, Christy Harris; D'Aunno, Thomas A

    2006-08-03

    Previous studies have found that even limited prevention-related interventions can affect health behaviors such as substance use and risky sex. Substance abuse treatment providers are ideal candidates to provide these services, but typically have little or no financial incentive to do so. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore why some substance abuse treatment units have added new prevention and outreach services. Based on an ecological framework of organizational strategy, three categories of predictors were tested: (1) environmental, (2) unit-level, and (3) unit leadership. A lagged cross-sectional logistic model of 450 outpatient substance abuse treatment units revealed that local per capita income, mental health center affiliation, and clinical supervisors' graduate degrees were positively associated with likelihood of adding prevention-related education and outreach services. Managed care contracts and methadone treatment were negatively associated with addition of these services. No hospital-affiliated agencies added prevention and outreach services during the study period. Findings supported the study's ecological perspective on organizational strategy, with factors at environmental, unit, and unit leadership levels associated with additions of prevention and outreach services. Among the significant predictors, ties to managed care payers and unit leadership graduate education emerge as potential leverage points for public policy. In the current sample, units with managed care contracts were less likely to add prevention and outreach services. This is not surprising, given managed care's emphasis on cost control. However, the association with this payment source suggests that public managed care programs might affects prevention and outreach differently through revised incentives. Specifically, government payers could explicitly compensate substance abuse treatment units in managed care contracts for prevention and outreach. The effects of

  4. 75 FR 32480 - Funding Opportunity: Affordable Care Act Medicare Beneficiary Outreach and Assistance Program...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-08

    ... Care Act Medicare Beneficiary Outreach and Assistance Program Funding for Title VI Native American Programs Purpose of Notice: Availability of funding opportunity announcement. Funding Opportunity Title/Program Name: Affordable Care Act Medicare Beneficiary Outreach and Assistance Program Funding for Title...

  5. Improving clinical interventions through successful outreach using Six Sigma quality improvement.

    PubMed

    Beard, Gary

    2008-01-01

    Interventions involving outreach to members via telephone are dependent on the success of reaching the member and engaging him or her in a discussion about treatment. This article describes a successful process improvement at a managed behavioral health organization aimed at increasing the percentage of times staff was able to reach a member by telephone. Using Six Sigma methodology, the project team was able to achieve statistically significant improvement in the rate of successful outreach for the organization.

  6. GeneLab

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berrios, Daniel C.; Thompson, Terri G.

    2015-01-01

    NASA GeneLab is expected to capture and distribute omics data and experimental and process conditions most relevant to research community in their statistical and theoretical analysis of NASAs omics data.

  7. Community outreach library services in the UK: a case study of Wirral Hospital NHS Trust (WHNT).

    PubMed

    Dowse, Frances Maria; Sen, Barbara

    2007-09-01

    The study evaluates the Community Outreach Library Service at Wirral Hospital National Health Service Trust (WHNT). It considers the information seeking behaviour and information needs of primary care staff, and service effectiveness in meeting those needs. A literature review established the current context and areas of best practice. The investigative case study used postal questionnaires to 250 primary care staff and an interview with the Community Outreach Librarian. Themes emerged from the literature regarding information seeking behaviour, information needs, and meeting user needs through effective service delivery. Outreach services have value in terms of improving information skills and providing services at point of need. Time is a major constraint for both users and service providers. Investment is needed from appropriate funding sources to support the provision and marketing of outreach library services. Librarians benefit from sharing best practice. The continued evaluation of outreach library services is recommended.

  8. The Student-to-Student Chemistry Initiative: Training High School Students To Perform Chemistry Demonstration Programs for Elementary School Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Voegel, Phillip D.; Quashnock, Kathryn A.; Heil, Katrina M.

    2004-05-01

    The Student-to-Student Chemistry Initiative is an outreach program started in the fall of 2001 at Midwestern State University (MSU). The oncampus program trains high school science students to perform a series of chemistry demonstrations and subsequently provides kits containing necessary supplies and reagents for the high school students to perform demonstration programs at elementary schools. The program focuses on improving student perception of science. The program's impact on high school student perception is evaluated through statistical analysis of paired preparticipation and postparticipation surveys. The surveys focus on four areas of student perception: general attitude toward science, interest in careers in science, science awareness, and interest in attending MSU for postsecondary education. Increased scores were observed in all evaluation areas including a statistically significant increase in science awareness following participation.

  9. Education and Outreach on Space Sciences and Technologies in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tiger Liu, Jann-Yeng; Chen, hao-Yen; Lee, I.-Te

    2014-05-01

    The Ionospheric Radio Science Laboratory (IRSL) at Institute of Space Science, National Central University in Taiwan has been conducting a program for public outreach educations on space science by giving lectures, organizing camps, touring exhibits, and experiencing hand-on experiments to elementary school, high school, and college students as well as general public since 1991. The program began with a topic of traveling/living in space, and was followed by space environment, space mission, and space weather monitoring, etc. and a series of course module and experiment (i.e. experiencing activity) module was carried out. For past decadal, the course modules have been developed to cover the space environment of the Sun, interplanetary space, and geospace, as well as the space technology of the rocket, satellite, space shuttle (plane), space station, living in space, observing the Earth from space, and weather observation. Each course module highlights the current status and latest new finding as well as discusses 1-3 key/core issues/concepts and equip with 2-3 activity/experiment modules to make students more easily to understand the topics/issues. Regarding the space technologies, we focus on remote sensing of Earth's surface by FORMOSAT-2 and occultation sounding by FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC of Taiwan space mission. Moreover, scientific camps are given to lead students a better understanding and interesting on space sciences/ technologies. Currently, a visualized image projecting system, Dagik Earth, is developed to demonstrate the scientific results on a sphere together with the course modules. This system will dramatically improve the educational skill and increase interests of participators.

  10. Science Outreach for the Thousands: Coe College's Playground of Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watson, D. E.; Franke, M.; Affatigato, M.; Feller, S.

    2011-12-01

    Coe College is a private liberal arts college nestled in the northeast quadrant of Cedar Rapids, IA. Coe takes pride in the outreach it does in the local community. The sciences at Coe find enjoyment in educating the children and families of this community through a diverse set of venues; from performing science demonstrations for children at Cedar Rapids' Fourth of July Freedom Festival to hosting summer forums and talks to invigorate the minds of its more mature audiences. Among these events, the signature event of the year is the Coe Playground of Science. On the last Thursday of October, before Halloween, the science departments at Coe invite nearly two thousand children from pre elementary to high school ages, along with their parents to participate in a night filled with science demos, haunted halls, and trick-or-treating for more than just candy. The demonstrations are performed by professors and students alike from a raft of cooperative departments including physics, chemistry, biology, math, computer science, nursing, ROTC, and psychology. This event greatly strengthens the relationships between institution members and community members. The sciences at Coe understand the importance of imparting the thrill and hunger for exploration and discovery into the future generations. More importantly they recognize that this cannot start and end at the collegiate level, but the American public must be reached at younger ages and continue to be encouraged beyond the college experience. The Playground of Science unites these two groups under the common goal of elevating scientific interest in the American people.

  11. 24 CFR 576.101 - Street outreach component.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... Eligible Activities § 576.101 Street outreach component. (a) Eligible costs. Subject to the expenditure... services; and provide urgent, nonfacility-based care to unsheltered homeless people who are unwilling or unable to access emergency shelter, housing, or an appropriate health facility. For the purposes of this...

  12. 24 CFR 576.101 - Street outreach component.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... Eligible Activities § 576.101 Street outreach component. (a) Eligible costs. Subject to the expenditure... services; and provide urgent, nonfacility-based care to unsheltered homeless people who are unwilling or unable to access emergency shelter, housing, or an appropriate health facility. For the purposes of this...

  13. 24 CFR 576.101 - Street outreach component.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... Eligible Activities § 576.101 Street outreach component. (a) Eligible costs. Subject to the expenditure... services; and provide urgent, nonfacility-based care to unsheltered homeless people who are unwilling or unable to access emergency shelter, housing, or an appropriate health facility. For the purposes of this...

  14. Community-Based AIDS Outreach Efforts to Migrants.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Linda J.; Jalloh, Mary Grenz

    The Forsyth County (North Carolina) Health Department's Health Education Division developed a community-based Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) outreach program for migrants. The Migrant/Hispanic Center in Kernersville, North Carolina operates under the auspice of the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and provides services to Hispanic…

  15. Outreach Education To Private and Government Sectors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spranger, Michael

    1998-01-01

    Describes outreach elements of Sea Grant College Programs. Staff serve as intellectual resources and partners with agencies and industry. Examples include the marine advisory service program (extension program), where advisory specialists and coastal field agents report information and research results to the marine community, and a communication…

  16. Awakening interest in the natural sciences - BASF's Kids' Labs.

    PubMed

    Lang, Cinthia

    2012-01-01

    At BASF's Ludwigshafen headquarters, kids and young adults in grades 1-13 can learn about chemistry in the Kids' Labs. Different programs exist for different levels of knowledge. In the two 'Hands-on Lab H(2)O & Co.' Kids' Labs, students from grades 1-6 explore the secrets of chemistry. BASF Kids' Labs have now been set up in over 30 countries. In Switzerland alone, almost 2,000 students have taken part in the 'Water Loves Chemistry' Kids' Lab since it was started in 2011. In Alsace, 600 students have participated to date. In the Teens' Lab 'Xplore Middle School', middle school students explore five different programs with the themes 'substance labyrinth', 'nutrition', 'coffee, caffeine & co.', 'cosmetics' and 'energy'. Biotechnological methods are the focus of the Teens' Lab 'Xplore Biotech' for students taking basic and advanced biology courses. In the 'Xplore High School' Teens' Lab, chemistry teachers present their own experimental lab instruction for students in basic and advanced chemistry courses. The Virtual Lab has been expanding the offerings of the BASF Kids' Labs since 2011. The online lab was developed by the company for the International Year Of Chemistry and gives kids and young adults the opportunity to do interactive experiments outside of the lab.

  17. Opportunities and Resources for Scientist Participation in Education and Public Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buxner, Sanlyn; CoBabe-Ammann, E.; Shipp, S.; Hsu, B.

    2012-10-01

    Active engagement of scientists in Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) activities results in benefits for both the audience and scientists. Most scientists are trained in research but have little formal training in education. The Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forum helps the Science Mission Directorate support scientists currently involved in E/PO and to help scientists who are interested in becoming involved in E/PO efforts find ways to do so through a variety of avenues. We will present current and future opportunities and resources for scientists to become engaged in education and public outreach. These include upcoming NASA SMD E/PO funding opportunities, professional development resources for writing NASA SMD E/PO proposals (webinars and other online tools), toolkits for scientists interested in best practices in E/PO (online guides for K-12 education and public outreach), EarthSpace (a community web space where instructors can find and share about teaching space and earth sciences in the undergraduate classroom, including class materials news and funding opportunities, and the latest education research), thematic resources for teaching about the solar system (archived resources from Year of the Solar System), and an online database of scientists interested in connecting with education programs. Learn more about the Forum and find resources at http://smdepo.org/.

  18. Farmer's market, demonstration gardens, and research projects expand outreach of Extension Master Gardeners

    Treesearch

    Pamela J. Bennett; Ellen M. Bauske; Alison Stoven O' Connor; Jean Reeder; Carol Busch; Heidi A. Kratsch; Elizabeth Leger; Angela O' Callaghan; Peter J. Nitzche; Jim Downer

    2013-01-01

    Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers are central to expanding the outreach and engagement of extension staff. A workshop format was used at the Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science on 31 July 2012 in Miami, FL to identify successful management techniques and projects that expand EMG volunteer outreach, leading to increased extension...

  19. 12 CFR 906.10 - Why does the Finance Board have this outreach program?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Why does the Finance Board have this outreach program? 906.10 Section 906.10 Banks and Banking FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OPERATIONS Contractor Outreach Program for Businesses Owned by Minorities, Women, or Individuals With Disabilitie...

  20. Outreach-based HIV prevention for injecting drug users: a review of published outcome data.

    PubMed Central

    Coyle, S L; Needle, R H; Normand, J

    1998-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Over the past decade, a body of observational research has accrued about the effects of outreach-based human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) interventions for drug users. The authors reviewed the findings related to postintervention behavior changes and integrated findings across studies to provide the best estimate of program impact. METHODS: The authors conducted a computerized literature search to locate published accounts of HIV intervention effects on drug users. Thirty-six publications covered outreach-based HIV risk reduction interventions for out-of-treatment injecting drug users (IDUs) and reported intervention effects on HIV-related behaviors or HIV seroincidence. Two-thirds of the publications reported that participation in street-based outreach interventions was followed with office-based HIV testing and counseling. The authors described the theoretical underpinnings of outreach intervention components, the content of the interventions, and the outcome measures that investigators used most frequently. The authors also described and critiqued the evaluation study designs that were in place. Because most of the evaluations were based on pretest and posttest measures of behavior rather than on controlled studies, results were examined with respect to accepted criteria for attributing intervention causality, that is, the plausibility of cause and effect, correct temporal sequence, consistency of findings across reports, strength of associations observed, specifically of associations, and dose-response relationships between interventions and observed outcomes. RESULTS: The majority of the published evaluations showed that IDUs in a variety of places and time periods changed their baseline drug-related and sex-related risk behaviors following their participation in a outreach-based HIV risk reduction intervention. More specifically, the publications indicated that IDUs regularly reported significant follow-up reductions in drug injection, multiperson

  1. Curricular Adaptations in Introductory Physics Labs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dreyfus, Benjamin W.; Ewell, Mary; Moore, Kimberly

    2017-01-01

    When curricular materials are disseminated to new sites, there can be a tension between fidelity to the original intent of the developers and adaptation to local needs. In this case study we look at a lab activity that was initially developed for an introductory physics for the life sciences (IPLS) course at the University of Maryland, then implemented at George Mason University with significant adaptations. The goals of the two implementations were overlapping, but also differed in ways that are reflected in the two versions of the lab. We compare student lab report data from the two sites to examine the impacts of the adaptation on how students engaged with the lab.

  2. Robotics-Centered Outreach Activities: An Integrated Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruiz-del-Solar, Javier

    2010-01-01

    Nowadays, universities are making extensive efforts to attract prospective students to the fields of electrical, electronic, and computer engineering. Thus, outreach is becoming increasingly important, and activities with schoolchildren are being extensively carried out as part of this effort. In this context, robotics is a very attractive and…

  3. Reality Check: Faculty Involvement in Outreach & Engagement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Demb, Ada; Wade, Amy

    2012-01-01

    A survey of 436 faculty shows the scope and nature of faculty participation in outreach and engagement, factors related to involvement, perceptions of institutional support, and types of changes they felt might expand involvement. The resulting conceptual model highlights the influence of professional, communal, and institutional factors on…

  4. Lab architecture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crease, Robert P.

    2008-04-01

    There are few more dramatic illustrations of the vicissitudes of laboratory architecturethan the contrast between Building 20 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and its replacement, the Ray and Maria Stata Center. Building 20 was built hurriedly in 1943 as temporary housing for MIT's famous Rad Lab, the site of wartime radar research, and it remained a productive laboratory space for over half a century. A decade ago it was demolished to make way for the Stata Center, an architecturally striking building designed by Frank Gehry to house MIT's computer science and artificial intelligence labs (above). But in 2004 - just two years after the Stata Center officially opened - the building was criticized for being unsuitable for research and became the subject of still ongoing lawsuits alleging design and construction failures.

  5. One Health training, research, and outreach in North America

    PubMed Central

    Stroud, Cheryl; Kaplan, Bruce; Logan, Jenae E.

    2016-01-01

    Background The One Health (OH) concept, formerly referred to as ‘One Medicine’ in the later part of the 20th century, has gained exceptional popularity in the early 21st century, and numerous academic and non-academic institutions have developed One Health programs. Objectives To summarize One Health training, research, and outreach activities originating in North America. Methods We used data from extensive electronic records maintained by the One Health Commission (OHC) (www.onehealthcommission.org/) and the One Health Initiative (www.onehealthinitiative.com/) and from web-based searches, combined with the corporate knowledge of the authors and their professional contacts. Finally, a call was released to members of the OHC's Global One Health Community listserv, asking that they populate a Google document with information on One Health training, research, and outreach activities in North American academic and non-academic institutions. Results A current snapshot of North American One Health training, research, and outreach activities as of August 2016 has evolved. Conclusions It is clear that the One Health concept has gained considerable recognition during the first decade of the 21st century, with numerous current training and research activities carried out among North American academic, non-academic, government, corporate, and non-profit entities. PMID:27906120

  6. Nuclear Science Outreach in the World Year of Physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McMahan, Margaret

    2006-04-01

    The ability of scientists to articulate the importance and value of their research has become increasingly important in the present climate of declining budgets, and this is most critical in the field of nuclear science ,where researchers must fight an uphill battle against negative public perception. Yet nuclear science encompasses important technical and societal issues that should be of primary interest to informed citizens, and the need for scientists trained in nuclear techniques are important for many applications in nuclear medicine, national security and future energy sources. The NSAC Education Subcommittee Report [1] identified the need for a nationally coordinated effort in nuclear science outreach, naming as its first recommendation that `the highest priority for new investment in education be the creation by the DOE and NSF of a Center for Nuclear Science Outreach'. This talk will review the present status of public outreach in nuclear science and highlight some specific efforts that have taken place during the World Year of Physics. [1] Education in Nuclear Science: A Status Report and Recommendations for the Beginning of the 21^st Century, A Report of the DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee Subcommittee on Education, November 2004, http://www.sc.doe.gov/henp/np/nsac/docs/NSACCReducationreportfinal.pdf.

  7. Departmentalize Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chan, Tak Cheung; Jarman, Delbert

    2004-01-01

    In elementary schools today, most students receive their education in a single classroom from one teacher who is responsible for teaching language arts, social studies, math, and science. The self-contained classroom organization is predicated on the assumption that an elementary school teacher is a Jack (or Jill)-of-all-trades who is equally…

  8. Optical aurora detectors: using natural optics to motivate education and outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaw, Joseph A.; Way, Jesse M.; Pust, Nathan J.; Nugent, Paul W.; Coate, Hans; Balster, Daniel

    2009-06-01

    Natural optical phenomena enjoy a level of interest sufficiently high among a wide array of people to provide ideal education and outreach opportunities. The aurora promotes particularly high interest, perhaps because of its relative rarity in the areas of the world where most people live. A project is being conducted at Montana State University to use common interest and curiosity about auroras to motivate learning and outreach through the design and deployment of optical sensor systems that detect the presence of an auroral display and send cell phone messages to alert interested people. Project participants learn about the physics and optics of the aurora, basic principles of optical system design, radiometric calculations and calibrations, electro-optical detectors, electronics, embedded computer systems, and computer software. The project is moving into a stage where it will provide greatly expanded outreach and education opportunities as optical aurora detector kits are created and disbursed to colleges around our region.

  9. Lessons from a Broad-based ACA Outreach Effort: Promises and Pitfalls.

    PubMed

    Gurley-Calvez, Tami; Hembree, Jessica; Mosley, Jane; LaPierre, Tracey; Aslam, Misbah; Jones, Emily V; Zimmerman, Mary

    2017-01-01

    The Marketplace Coverage Initiative (MCI) sought to expand awareness and ACA Marketplace enrollment in the greater Kansas City Area. The MCI was evaluated through interviews, surveys, and focus groups. Two main findings are particularly relevant for future Marketplace enrollment efforts. First, the link between contacting someone and actual enrollment is tenuous as follow-up is challenging. Outreach efforts that only track contacts, such as appointments and email addresses, lack information needed to assess enrollment. Linking outreach activities to enrollment outcomes leads us to a dramatically different conclusion about using big data and campaign-style tactics than evaluations of similar techniques such as that pioneered by Enroll America in 11 states. Second, there is a large chasm between the knowledge levels of the uninsured and the decisions they face on the Marketplace. Based on these findings, outreach efforts were redesigned for the 2014 open enrollment period to focus on smaller, community-driven projects.

  10. Generalized Nanosatellite Avionics Testbed Lab

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frost, Chad R.; Sorgenfrei, Matthew C.; Nehrenz, Matt

    2015-01-01

    The Generalized Nanosatellite Avionics Testbed (G-NAT) lab at NASA Ames Research Center provides a flexible, easily accessible platform for developing hardware and software for advanced small spacecraft. A collaboration between the Mission Design Division and the Intelligent Systems Division, the objective of the lab is to provide testing data and general test protocols for advanced sensors, actuators, and processors for CubeSat-class spacecraft. By developing test schemes for advanced components outside of the standard mission lifecycle, the lab is able to help reduce the risk carried by advanced nanosatellite or CubeSat missions. Such missions are often allocated very little time for testing, and too often the test facilities must be custom-built for the needs of the mission at hand. The G-NAT lab helps to eliminate these problems by providing an existing suite of testbeds that combines easily accessible, commercial-offthe- shelf (COTS) processors with a collection of existing sensors and actuators.

  11. Contemporary Issues in Elementary Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Educational Policies Commission, Washington, DC.

    Generalized views of the role of the elementary school in a democratic society and of the uniqueness of each student have implications for policy in improving elementary education. Owing to the youth of its clientele, the elementary school has an intense impact. No school so greatly affects so many Americans. It is a democratic institution…

  12. Tutorial Video Series: Using Stakeholder Outreach to Increase ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The limited amount of toxicity data on thousands of chemicals found in consumer products has led to the development of research endeavors such as the U.S. EPA’s Toxicity Forecaster (ToxCast). ToxCast uses high-throughput screening technology to evaluate thousands of chemicals for potential toxicity. At the end of 2013, U.S. EPA released ToxCast chemical data on almost 2,000 chemicals through the interactive Chemical Safety for Sustainability (iCSS) Dashboard. The iCSS Dashboard provides public access to the high-throughput screening data that can be used to inform the evaluation of the safety of chemicals. U.S. EPA recognized early in the development of ToxCast that stakeholder outreach was needed in order to translate the complex scientific information featured in the iCSS Dashboard and data, with the goal of educating the diverse user community through targeted efforts to increase data usage and analysis. Through survey feedback and the request of stakeholders, a series of tutorial videos to demonstrate how to access and use the data has been planned, and the first video of the series has been released to guide data usage. This presentation will describe the video tutorial strategy including an overview of: 1) Stakeholder outreach goals and approach; 2) Planning, production, and dissemination of tutorial videos; 3) Overview of Survey Feedback; 4) Overview of tutorial video usage statistics and usage of the ToxCast data. This stakeholder-outreach approach

  13. Engage: The Science Speaker Series - A novel approach to improving science outreach and communication

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    von der Linden, Jens; Hilton, Eric; Mitchell, Rachel; Rosenfield, Phil

    2011-10-01

    Communicating the results and significance of basic research to the general public is of critical importance. At present, very few programs exist to allow young scientists the opportunity to practice their public outreach skills. Although the need for science outreach is recognized, graduate programs often fail to provide any training in making science accessible. Engage represents a unique, graduate student-led effort to improve public outreach skills. Founded in 2009, Engage was created by three science graduate students at the University of Washington. The students developed an interdisciplinary curriculum to investigate why science outreach often fails, to improve graduate student communication skills, and to help students create a dynamic, public-friendly talk about their research. The course incorporates story-telling, improvisational arts, and development of analogy, all with a focus on clarity, brevity and accessibility. This free, public-friendly speaker series is hosted at the University of Washington and has substantial public attendance and participation.

  14. CoffeeShop Astrophysics: An Adventure in Public Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chamberlin, Sydney; Decesar, Megan; Caudill, Sarah; Sadeghian, Laleh; Nuttall, Laura; Urban, Alex; McGrath, Casey

    2016-03-01

    Engaging non-scientists in scientific discussions is inarguably important, both for researchers and society. Public lectures have long been utilized as a method for performing such outreach, but due to their format and location often reach a limited audience. More recently, events such as science cafés (events pairing a scientist with the public in a casual venue) have emerged as a potential tool for connecting with general audiences. The success of these events depends on multiple variables. In this talk, we describe an example of such an event entitled CoffeeShop Astrophysics, that uses multiple speakers, demonstrations and humor to successfully engage members of the public. We discuss the key elements that make CoffeeShop Astrophysics effective, and the viability of grassroots, coffeeshop-style outreach. The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the American Physical Society for this work.

  15. Post-acute crisis text messaging outreach for suicide prevention: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Berrouiguet, Sofian; Gravey, Michel; Le Galudec, Mickaël; Alavi, Zarrin; Walter, Michel

    2014-07-30

    Several post-suicide prevention strategies such as sending postcards or making phone calls have been used to keep in contact with suicide attempters. The continuity of care has been beneficial to the prevention of post-acute suicidal behaviors. The aim of the study was to evaluate the technical feasibility and acceptability of text messaging outreach in post-acute suicide attempters. Eighteen post-suicidal patients were included in a prospective, monocentric, open-label, 2 months pilot study. The text messages were sent from the intranet program that we specially developed for the study. Technical feasibility of this text message intervention was evaluated by the analysis of text message reports. Acceptability of such intervention was evaluated by a standardized phone interview. Our study showed that receiving text messages sent from an intranet program after a suicide attempt is technically possible. This post-crisis outreach program was accepted by the patients who found it to have a positive preventive impact. Text messaging outreach offers several advantages such as lower cost, and easier utilization compared to current post-acute care strategies. We suggest further randomized controlled trials in a large sample of suicidal patients to assess the efficacy of this novel outreach tool for prevention of post-acute suicide. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Physics To Go: an Outreach Digital Library

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Edward V.

    2006-12-01

    Physics to Go, part of the NSF-funded ComPADRE digital library, is a collection of websites for informal physics learning. This talk will present Physics To Go’s homepage features, show how these features are created, how resources are identified, and how Physics To Go complements other physics outreach websites.

  17. Planning a Computer Lab: Considerations To Ensure Success.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    IALL Journal of Language Learning Technologies, 1994

    1994-01-01

    Presents points to consider when organizing a computer laboratory. These include the lab's overall objectives and how best to meet them; what type of students will use the lab; where the lab will be located; and what software and hardware can best meet the lab's overall objectives, population, and location requirements. Other factors include time,…

  18. Outreach and educational activities in Russia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gritsevich, M.; Kartashova, A.

    2012-09-01

    We present an overview of the major internal as well as international meetings and events held in Russia and dedicated to the integration, development and expanding of knowledge in Planetary Research. The report is complemented by the Europlanet activities in Russia over the last year, achieved goals and lessons learned. Additionally, we highlight current problems and possible future improvements to the present educational and outreach techniques.

  19. TQM in a Computer Lab.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swanson, Dewey A.; Phillips, Julie A.

    At the Purdue University School of Technology (PST) at Columbus, Indiana, the Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy was used in the computer laboratories to better meet student needs. A customer satisfaction survey was conducted to gather data on lab facilities, lab assistants, and hardware/software; other sections of the survey included…

  20. Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

    Science.gov Websites

    Synthesis Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Scattering and Instrumentation Science Centers Center for Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab A-Z Index Phone Book Jobs Search DOE Search MSD Go MSD - Materials Sciences Division About Organization Contact Research Core Programs Materials Discovery, Design and

  1. Bridging Scientific Expertise to Underserved Communities: Initiating and Sustaining Local STEM Outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, Tania; Kenney, Jessica; Maple, John

    2017-06-01

    This presentation will feature effective outreach strategies used to recruit, engage, and sustain student involvement from underserved communities in out-of-school science outreach programs. For example, one strategy is to partner with subject matter experts to provide your audience with a deeper understanding of and a unique perspective on current science. Join us to learn more about how you can initiate and sustain a STEM based program in your local community.

  2. Best Practices in Pulic Outreach Events

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cobb, Whitney; Buxner, Sanlyn; Shipp, Stephanie

    2015-11-01

    IntroductionEach year the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sponsors public outreach events designed to increase student, educator, and general public engagement in its missions and goals. NASA SMD Education’s review of large-scale events, “Best Practices in Outreach Events,” highlighted planning and implementation best practices, which were used by the Dawn mission to strategize and implement its Ceres arrival celebration event, i C Ceres.BackgroundThe literature review focused on best identifying practices rising from evaluations of large-scale public outreach events. The following criteria guided the study:* Public, science-related events open to adults and children* Events that occurred during the last 5 years* Evaluations that included information on data collected from visitors and/or volunteers* Evaluations that specified the type of data collected, methodology, and associated resultsBest Practices: Planning and ImplementationThe literature review revealed key considerations for planning implement large-scale events. Best practices included can be pertinent for all event organizers and evaluators regardless of event size. A summary of related best practices is presented below.1) Advertise the event2) Use and advertise access to scientists* Attendees who reported an interaction with a science professional were 15% to 19% more likely to report positive learning impacts, (SFA, 2012, p. 24).3) Recruit scientists using findings such as:* High percentages of scientists (85% to 96%) from most events were interested in participating again (SFA, 2012).4) Ensure that the event is group and, particularly, child friendly5) Target specific event outcomesBest Practices Informing Real-world Planning, Implementation and EvaluationDawn mission’s collaborative design of a series of events, i C Ceres, including in-person, interactive events geared to families and live presentations, will be shared, with focus on the family event, and the evidence

  3. EPICS Channel Access Server for LabVIEW

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhukov, Alexander P.

    It can be challenging to interface National Instruments LabVIEW (http://www.ni.com/labview/) with EPICS (http://www.aps.anl.gov/epics/). Such interface is required when an instrument control program was developed in LabVIEW but it also has to be part of global control system. This is frequently useful in big accelerator facilities. The Channel Access Server is written in LabVIEW, so it works on any hardware/software platform where LabVIEW is available. It provides full server functionality, so any EPICS client can communicate with it.

  4. CRCHD Launches National Colorectal Cancer Outreach and Screening Initiative

    Cancer.gov

    The NCI CRCHD launches National Screen to Save Colorectal Cancer Outreach and Screening Initiative which aims to increase colorectal cancer screening rates among racially and ethnically diverse and rural communities.

  5. Education and public outreach in astronomy and beyond

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cominsky, Lynn R.

    2018-01-01

    Education and public outreach has evolved from being part of a scientist's duties into a distinct career path that is well-suited for astronomers. The ideal professional in this field has strong communication skills coupled with a broad research background.

  6. Serving First in Isolation Increases Vegetable Intake among Elementary Schoolchildren

    PubMed Central

    Redden, Joseph P.; Mann, Traci; Vickers, Zata; Mykerezi, Elton; Reicks, Marla; Elsbernd, Stephanie

    2015-01-01

    Many people want to eat healthier, but they often fail in these attempts. We report two field studies in an elementary school cafeteria that each demonstrate children eat more of a vegetable (carrots, broccoli) when we provide it first in isolation versus alongside other more preferred foods. We propose this healthy first approach succeeds by triggering one’s inherent motivation to eat a single food placed in front of them, and works even though they have prior knowledge of the full menu available and no real time constraints. Consistent with this theory, and counter to simple contrast effects, an additional lab study found that presenting a food first in isolation had the unique ability to increase intake whether the food was healthy (carrots) or less healthy (M&M’s). Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of this simple intervention in promoting healthier eating, which should interest consumers, food marketers, health professionals, and policy makers. PMID:25830337

  7. Science Educational Outreach Programs That Benefit Students and Scientists

    PubMed Central

    Enyeart, Peter; Gracia, Brant; Wessel, Aimee; Jarmoskaite, Inga; Polioudakis, Damon; Stuart, Yoel; Gonzalez, Tony; MacKrell, Al; Rodenbusch, Stacia; Stovall, Gwendolyn M.; Beckham, Josh T.; Montgomery, Michael; Tasneem, Tania; Jones, Jack; Simmons, Sarah; Roux, Stanley

    2016-01-01

    Both scientists and the public would benefit from improved communication of basic scientific research and from integrating scientists into education outreach, but opportunities to support these efforts are limited. We have developed two low-cost programs—"Present Your PhD Thesis to a 12-Year-Old" and "Shadow a Scientist”—that combine training in science communication with outreach to area middle schools. We assessed the outcomes of these programs and found a 2-fold benefit: scientists improve their communication skills by explaining basic science research to a general audience, and students' enthusiasm for science and their scientific knowledge are increased. Here we present details about both programs, along with our assessment of them, and discuss the feasibility of exporting these programs to other universities. PMID:26844991

  8. Innovative funding of educational outreach by a state agency

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kopaska-Merkel, D. C.

    2001-01-01

    The educational role of state geological surveys is increasing yet state funding for this role is commonly lacking. Staff members of the Geological Survey of Alabama/State Oil and Gas Board of Alabama have developed and implemented a succesful Outside Funding Model to support educational outreach programs. Staff members created an informal organization within the agency and raised money specifically for educational outreach. The primary vehicles for fund raising are an annual charity golf tournament, sales of t-shirts and field-trip guidebooks, and small grants awarded by a variety of organizations. The money raised is used to fund a wide variety of educational activities that would not be possible otherwise. The Alabama Outside Funding Model could be duplicated by surveys or similar agencies in other states.

  9. Librarians as Community Partners: An Outreach Handbook

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smallwood, Carol, Ed.

    2010-01-01

    Including 66 focused snapshots of outreach in action, this resource reflects the creative solutions of librarians searching for new and innovative ways to build programs that meet customer needs while expanding the library's scope into the community. This contributed volume includes: (1) A huge array of program options for partnering with other…

  10. One Size Does Not Fit All: Effective Community-Engaged Outreach Practices with Immigrant Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smalkoski, Kari; Axtell, Sara; Zimmer, Jeanne; Noor, Ibrahim

    2016-01-01

    Generic outreach approaches are commonly used to target as many individuals as possible in a cultural community to achieve a greater response rate. However, this one-size-fits-all tactic is rarely effective. Community-engaged outreach practices have been successful with immigrant communities in Minnesota's Twin Cities. When practitioners,…

  11. 75 FR 13141 - The Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO); Notice...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-18

    ... Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO); Notice of Open Teleconference Meeting The Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO.... The ACVETEO is responsible for assessing employment and training needs of veterans; determining the...

  12. Future{at}Labs.Prosperity Game{trademark}

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Beck, D.F.; Boyack, K.W.; Berman, M.

    Prosperity Games{trademark} are an outgrowth and adaptation of move/countermove and seminar War Games, Prosperity Games{trademark} are simulations that explore complex issues in a variety of areas including economics, politics, sociology, environment, education, and research. These issues can be examined from a variety of perspectives ranging from global, macroeconomic and geopolitical viewpoint down to the details of customer/supplier/market interactions specific industries. All Prosperity Games{trademark} are unique in that both the game format and the player contributions vary from game to game. This report documents the Future{at}Labs.Prosperity Game{trademark} conducted under the sponsorship of the Industry Advisory Boards of the national labs, themore » national labs, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and the University of California. Players were drawn from all stakeholders involved including government, industry, labs, and academia. The primary objectives of this game were to: (1) explore ways to optimize the role of the multidisciplinary labs in serving national missions and needs; (2) explore ways to increase collaboration and partnerships among government, laboratories, universities, and industry; and (3) create a network of partnership champions to promote findings and policy options. The deliberations and recommendations of these players provided valuable insights as to the views of this diverse group of decision makers concerning the future of the labs.« less

  13. Design of inquiry-oriented science labs: impacts on students' attitudes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baseya, J. M.; Francis, C. D.

    2011-11-01

    Background: Changes in lab style can lead to differences in learning. Two inquiry-oriented lab styles are guided inquiry (GI) and problem-based (PB). Students' attitudes towards lab are important to consider when choosing between GI and PB styles during curriculum design. Purpose: We examined the degree to which lab experiences are explained by a GI or a PB lab style vs. students' attitudes towards specific aspects of the experience, reflected by perceived excitement (exc), difficulty (dif), time efficiency (eff) and association between lab and lecture material (help). Sample: Approximately 1000 students attending first-semester, college biology lab for science majors at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA, participated in the study. Design and method: In 2007, two labs were run as GI and one as PB. Formats were switched in 2008. Attitudes were assessed with a post-semester survey. Results: Only the four attitude variables (not lab style) had a strong relationship with overall lab rating which was most strongly related to exc, followed by dif and help/eff. Dif and eff had the greatest influence on attitudes for or against GI vs. PB labs, and help and exc had little influence on a GI vs. a PB lab. Also, when dif was low, students' attitudes were not significantly different between PB and GI labs, but when dif was high, students' significantly rated GI labs higher than PB labs. Conclusions: Students' attitudes towards lab are more dependent on specific aspects of the experience than on lab style. Changes in GI vs. PB lab styles primarily influence dif and eff rather than exc and help. Dif may be an important factor to consider when implementing a lab in the PB vs. the GI format. It might be good to go with a GI when dif is high and a PB when dif is low.

  14. Science Lab: A Peer Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ronca, Courtney C.

    The two goals of this program were to increase the number of classroom teachers using the lab and to increase the amount of time that the science lab was used. The solution strategy chosen was a combination of peer tutoring, orientation presentations, small group discovery experiments and activities, and individual science experiment stations. The…

  15. The National Network of Libraries of Medicine's outreach to the public health workforce: 2001–2006

    PubMed Central

    Cogdill, Keith W.; Ruffin, Angela B.; Stavri, P. Zoë

    2007-01-01

    Objective: The paper provides an overview of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine's (NN/ LM's) outreach to the public health workforce from 2001 to 2006. Description: NN/LM conducts outreach through the activities of the Regional Medical Library (RML) staff and RML-sponsored projects led by NN/LM members. Between 2001 and 2006, RML staff provided training on information resources and information management for public health personnel at national, state, and local levels. The RMLs also contributed significantly to the Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce collaboration. Methods: Data were extracted from telephone interviews with directors of thirty-seven NN/LM-sponsored outreach projects directed at the public health sector. A review of project reports informed the interviews, which were transcribed and subsequently coded for emergent themes using qualitative analysis software. Results: Analysis of interview data led to the identification of four major themes: training, collaboration, evaluation of outcomes, and challenges. Sixteen subthemes represented specific lessons learned from NN/LM members' outreach to the public health sector. Conclusions: NN/LM conducted extensive information-oriented outreach to the public health workforce during the 2001-to-2006 contract period. Lessons learned from this experience, most notably the value of collaboration and the need for flexibility, continue to influence outreach efforts in the current contract period. PMID:17641766

  16. Reaching for the Stars in your Golden Years: The Importance of Outreach for Senior Citizens

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rapson, V.

    2014-07-01

    Astronomy outreach is often geared towards young children, but rarely towards senior citizens. This article shares the author's experience of conducting astronomy outreach activities at senior living communities and discusses why senior citizens are an equally important demographic to educate about astronomy.

  17. Small Drinking Water Systems Communication and Outreach Highlights

    EPA Science Inventory

    As part of our small drinking water systems efforts, this poster highlights several communications and outreach highlights that EPA's Office of Research and Development and Office of Water have been undertaking in collaboration with states and the Association of State Drinking Wa...

  18. 78 FR 65608 - Information Collection; Outreach Opportunity Questionnaire

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-01

    ... Questionnaire AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice; request for comment. SUMMARY: In accordance with the... Opportunity Questionnaire. DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before December 31, 2013 to be... Friday. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Outreach Opportunity Questionnaire. OMB Number: 0596-0207...

  19. Breast cancer screening services: trade-offs in quality, capacity, outreach, and centralization.

    PubMed

    Güneş, Evrim D; Chick, Stephen E; Akşin, O Zeynep

    2004-11-01

    This work combines and extends previous work on breast cancer screening models by explicitly incorporating, for the first time, aspects of the dynamics of health care states, program outreach, and the screening volume-quality relationship in a service system model to examine the effect of public health policy and service capacity decisions on public health outcomes. We consider the impact of increasing standards for minimum reading volume to improve quality, expanding outreach with or without decentralization of service facilities, and the potential of queueing due to stochastic effects and limited capacity. The results indicate a strong relation between screening quality and the cost of screening and treatment, and emphasize the importance of accounting for service dynamics when assessing the performance of health care interventions. For breast cancer screening, increasing outreach without improving quality and maintaining capacity results in less benefit than predicted by standard models.

  20. The Engaged University Today--Outreach Scholarship Conference

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spanier, Graham B.

    2004-01-01

    This article presents remarks by Graham B. Spanier, president of Penn State University and former chair of the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities, given at the fourth annual National Outreach Scholarship Conference. One of the areas studied by the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant…

  1. Small Drinking Water Systems Communication and Outreach ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    As part of our small drinking water systems efforts, this poster highlights several communications and outreach highlights that EPA's Office of Research and Development and Office of Water have been undertaking in collaboration with states and the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators. To share information at EPA's annual small drinking water systems workshop

  2. "Project Outreach," Final Report, December 31, 1979.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Latzer, Robert M.

    Fall 1979 activities for Project Outreach, a faculty development program at Jersey City State College, are described. Problems involved in carrying out these activities, a statement of expenditures and balances, and a set of recommendations are covered. Four areas of activity planned at the college were: a second series of study skills seminars, a…

  3. Astronomy on Tap: Public Outreach Events in Bars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rice, E. L.; Levine, B. W.

    2016-12-01

    Astronomy on Tap public outreach events are as easy to organise or as elaborate as you would like them to be. In addition to communicating cutting-edge research and fundamental concepts to the public, Astronomy on Tap events showcase the passion, creativity and diversity of scientists, facilitate personal and meaningful interactions between scientists and the general public, and offer networking and professional development opportunities for scientists. Astronomy on Tap organisers provide a growing cadre of resources for starting similar events, which have so far taken place in twenty locations around the world, mainly in the United States but also in Canada, Chile, and Taiwan, reaching a total of almost 15 000 people. Through this reflection on the Astronomy on Tap project we invite you to consider whether you could adopt aspects of the Astronomy on Tap model for existing outreach programmes, or even organise a new satellite event in your location.

  4. Increasing Minority Research Participation Through Community Organization Outreach

    PubMed Central

    Alvarez, Roger A.; Vasquez, Elias; Mayorga, Carla C.; Feaster, Daniel J.; Mitrani, Victoria B.

    2008-01-01

    Recruitment is one of the most significant challenges in conducting research with ethnic minority populations. Establishing relationships with organizations that serve ethnic minority communities can facilitate recruitment. To create a successful recruitment process, a strategic plan of action is necessary prior to implementing community outreach efforts. For this study population of women who were HIV+ and recovering from substance abuse disorder, the authors found that establishing trust with community organizations that serve these women allows for a productive referral relationship. Although the majority of women in this study are African American, the authors were particularly challenged in recruiting Hispanic women. This article presents a recruitment process model that has facilitated our recruitment efforts and has helped the authors to organize, document, and evaluate their community outreach strategies. This model can be adopted and adapted by nurses and other health researchers to enhance engagement of minority populations. PMID:16829637

  5. Increasing minority research participation through community organization outreach.

    PubMed

    Alvarez, Roger A; Vasquez, Elias; Mayorga, Carla C; Feaster, Daniel J; Mitrani, Victoria B

    2006-08-01

    Recruitment is one of the most significant challenges in conducting research with ethnic minority populations. Establishing relationships with organizations that serve ethnic minority communities can facilitate recruitment. To create a successful recruitment process, a strategic plan of action is necessary prior to implementing community outreach efforts. For this study population of women who were HIV+ and recovering from substance abuse disorder, the authors found that establishing trust with community organizations that serve these women allows for a productive referral relationship. Although the majority of women in this study are African American, the authors were particularly challenged in recruiting Hispanic women. This article presents a recruitment process model that has facilitated our recruitment efforts and has helped the authors to organize, document, and evaluate their community out-reach strategies. This model can be adopted and adapted by nurses and other health researchers to enhance engagement of minority populations.

  6. F*** Yeah Fluid Dynamics: Lessons from online outreach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharp, Nicole

    2013-11-01

    The fluid dynamics education outreach blog FYFD features photos, videos, and research along with concise, accessible explanations of phenomena every weekday. Over the past three years, the blog has attracted an audience of roughly 200,000 online followers. Reader survey results indicate that over half of the blog's audience works or studies in non-fluids fields. Twenty-nine percent of all survey respondents indicate that FYFD has been a positive influence on their desire to pursue fluid dynamics in their education or career. Of these positively influenced readers, over two-thirds have high-school or undergraduate-level education, indicating a significant audience of potential future fluid dynamicists. This talk will utilize a mixture of reader metrics, web analytics, and anecdotal evidence to discuss what makes science outreach successful and how we, as a community, can benefit from promoting fluid dynamics to a wider audience. http://tinyurl.com/azjjgj2

  7. State of Global Pediatric Neurosurgery Outreach: Survey by the International Education Subcommittee

    PubMed Central

    Davis, Matthew C.; Rocque, Brandon G.; Singhal, Ash; Ridder, Tom; Pattisapu, Jogi V.; Johnston, James M.

    2017-01-01

    Object Neurosurgical services are increasingly recognized as essential components of surgical care worldwide. Degree of interest among neurosurgeons regarding international work, and barriers to involvement in global neurosurgical outreach, are largely unexplored. We distributed a survey to members of the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery to assess the state of global outreach among its members and identify barriers to involvement. Methods An internet-based questionnaire was developed by the International Education Subcommittee of the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery, and distributed to pediatric neurosurgeons via the AANS/CNS Joint Section email contact list. Participants were surveyed on involvement in global neurosurgical outreach, geographic location, nature of participation, and barriers to further involvement. Results A 35.3% response rate was obtained, with 116 respondents completed the survey. 61% performed or taught neurosurgery in a developing country, 49% traveling at least annually. Africa was the most common region (54%), followed by South America (30%), through 29 separate organizing entities. Hydrocephalus was the most commonly treated condition (88%), followed by spinal dysraphism (74%) and tumor (68%). Most respondents obtained follow-up through communication from local surgeons (77%). 71% believed the international experience improved their practice, and 74% were very or extremely interested in working elsewhere. Interference with current practice (61%), cost (44%), and difficulty identifying international partners (43%) were the most commonly cited barriers to participation. Conclusion Any coordinated effort to expand global neurosurgical capacity begins with appreciation for the current state of outreach efforts. Increasing participation in global outreach will require addressing both real and perceived barriers to involvement. Creation and curation of a centralized online database of ongoing projects to facilitate

  8. State of global pediatric neurosurgery outreach: survey by the International Education Subcommittee.

    PubMed

    Davis, Matthew C; Rocque, Brandon G; Singhal, Ash; Ridder, Thomas; Pattisapu, Jogi V; Johnston, James M

    2017-08-01

    OBJECTIVE Neurosurgical services are increasingly recognized as essential components of surgical care worldwide. The degree of interest among neurosurgeons regarding international work, and the barriers to involvement in global neurosurgical outreach, are largely unexplored. The authors distributed a survey to members of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (AANS/CNS) Joint Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery to assess the state of global outreach among its members and to identify barriers to involvement. METHODS An internet-based questionnaire was developed by the International Education Subcommittee of the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Pediatric Neurosurgery and distributed to pediatric neurosurgeons via the AANS/CNS Joint Section email contact list. Participants were surveyed on their involvement in global neurosurgical outreach, geographic location, nature of the participation, and barriers to further involvement. RESULTS A 35.3% response rate was obtained, with 116 respondents completing the survey. Sixty-one percent have performed or taught neurosurgery in a developing country, and 49% travel at least annually. Africa was the most common region (54%), followed by South America (30%), through 29 separate organizing entities. Hydrocephalus was the most commonly treated condition (88%), followed by spinal dysraphism (74%), and tumor (68%). Most respondents obtained follow-up through communications from local surgeons (77%). Seventy-one percent believed the international experience improved their practice, and 74% were very or extremely interested in working elsewhere. Interference with current practice (61%), cost (44%), and difficulty identifying international partners (43%) were the most commonly cited barriers to participation. CONCLUSIONS Any coordinated effort to expand global neurosurgical capacity begins with appreciation for the current state of outreach efforts. Increasing participation in global outreach will

  9. Empowerment in a model of outreach undergraduate dental education.

    PubMed

    Radford, D R; Hellyer, P

    2017-01-13

    Aim To undertake a quantitative and qualitative examination into what aspects of the students' experience in outreach at University of Portsmouth Dental Academy (UPDA) are encouraging their empowerment as autonomous practitioners, ready to graduate as 'safe beginners'.Methods The study was devised as part of the educational service evaluation of outreach education at the UPDA. For the two most recent cohorts of 160 students (2014-16) an additional domain was added specifically investigating the students' sense of how their experience of outreach at the UPDA has impacted on their development to be ready for independent practice (safe beginner). The questionnaire was completed anonymously in their last week of attendance just before graduation.Results A 91% response rate for the questionnaire was achieved. To the question about 'being given an opportunity to become an independent dentist', 83% of the respondents strongly agreed. Two themes with seven subthemes were identified from the free text responses. The two themes were 'self-actualisation: developing self-awareness and self-confidence' and 'delivery of care as a dentist'.Conclusion Within the limitations of this educational evaluation, students enjoyed the increase of autonomy they gained during the year-long placement and felt that the clinical teachers empowered, encouraged and supported them to develop as autonomous dental practitioners and as 'safe beginners', to deliver holistic care in the National Health Service.

  10. General Atomics Sciences Education Foundation Outreach Programs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winter, Patricia S.

    1997-11-01

    Scientific literacy for all students is a national goal. The General Atomics (GA) Foundation Outreach Program is committed to playing a major role in enhancing pre-college education in science, engineering and new technologies. GA has received wide recognition for its Sciences Education Program, a volunteer effort of GA employees and San Diego science teachers. GA teacher/scientist teams have developed inquiry-based education modules and associated workshops based on areas of core competency at GA: Fusion -- Energy of the Stars; Explorations in Materials Science; Portrait of an Atom; DNA Technology. [http://www.sci-ed-ga.org]. Workshops [teachers receive printed materials and laboratory kits for ``hands-on" modules] have been presented for 700+ teachers from 200+ area schools. Additional workshops include: University of Denver for Denver Public Schools; National Educators Workshop; Standard Experiments in Engineering Materials; Update '96 in Los Alamos; Newspapers in Education Workshop (LA Times); American Chemical Society Regional/National meetings, and California Science Teachers Association Conference. Other outreach includes High School Science Day, school partnerships, teacher and student mentoring and the San Diego Science Alliance [http://www.sdsa.org].

  11. LANGUAGE LABS--AN UPDATED REPORT.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1963

    REPORTS FROM SEVERAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON THE USE OF AND PLANNING OF LANGUAGE LABORATORIES ARE PRESENTED. LABORATORIES SHOULD BE ARRANGED FOR FLEXIBLE USE. THE AVERAGE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CAN USE A LAB PROFITABLY FOR 20 TO 25 MINUTES. THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LANGUAGE LABORATORIES THAT ARE DESCRIBED. THE SATELLITE LAB IS DIVIDED BY A…

  12. Academic Pipeline and Futures Lab

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-02-01

    AFRL-RY-WP-TR-2015-0186 ACADEMIC PIPELINE AND FUTURES LAB Brian D. Rigling Wright State University FEBRUARY 2016...DD-MM-YY) 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) February 2016 Final 12 June 2009 – 30 September 2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE ACADEMIC ...6 3 WSU ACADEMIC PIPELINE AND LAYERED SENSING FUTURES LAB (prepared by K

  13. Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

    Science.gov Websites

    Synthesis Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Scattering and Instrumentation Science Centers Center for materials and phenomena at multiple time and length scales. Through our core programs and research centers Berkeley Lab Berkeley Lab A-Z Index Phone Book Jobs Search DOE Search MSD Go MSD - Materials

  14. Experiences of Redesigning an Elementary Education Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Sau Hou

    2016-01-01

    This paper aims to share the experiences of redesigning an elementary education program. Steps of redesigning the elementary education program were enumerated. Challenges in the redesign of the elementary education program were discussed. The new elementary education program was described. Lessons learned from the redesign of the elementary…

  15. Space physics educational outreach

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Copeland, Richard A.

    1995-01-01

    The goal of this Space Physics Educational Outreach project was to develop a laboratory experiment and classroom lecture on Earth's aurora for use in lower division college physics courses, with the particular aim of implementing the experiment and lecture at Saint Mary's College of California. The strategy is to teach physics in the context of an interesting natural phenomenon by investigating the physical principles that are important in Earth's aurora, including motion of charged particles in electric and magnetic fields, particle collisions and chemical reactions, and atomic and molecular spectroscopy. As a by-product, the undergraduate students would develop an appreciation for naturally occurring space physics phenomena.

  16. Towards a Manifesto for Living Lab Co-creation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Følstad, Asbjørn; Brandtzæg, Petter Bae; Gulliksen, Jan; Börjeson, Mikael; Näkki, Pirjo

    There is a growing interest in Living Labs for innovation and development in the field of information and communication technology. In particular there seem to be a tendency that current Living Labs aim to involve users for co-creative purposes. However, the current literature on Living Lab co-creation is severely limited. Therefore an Interact workshop is arranged as a first step towards a manifesto for Living Lab co-creation.

  17. Everyday territories: homelessness, outreach work and city space.

    PubMed

    Smith, Robin James; Hall, Tom

    2018-06-01

    This article develops a situational approach to understanding urban public life and, in particular, the production of urban territories. Our aim is to examine the ways in which city space might be understood as comprising multiple, shifting, mobile and rhythmed territories. We argue that such territories are best understood through attending to their everyday production and negotiation, rather than handling territory as an a priori construct. We develop this argument from the particular case of the street-level politics of homelessness and street care. The experience of street homelessness and the provision of care in the public spaces of the city is characterised by precarious territorial claims made and lost. We describe some of the ways in which care work with rough sleepers is itself precarious; 'homeless', in lacking a distinct setting in which it might get done. Indeed, outreach work takes place within and affirms homeless territories. The affirmation of territory is shown to be central to the relationship developed between the workers and their rough sleeping clients. We also show, however, the ways in which outreach workers operate on territory not their own, twice over. Outreach work is precarious in that it is practised within, and can run counter to, other territorial productions in which the experience of urban need and the work and politics of care are entangled. In sum, this article aims to move beyond static and binary understandings by developing a mobile and situational approach to city space which recognises the intensive yet overlooked work of territorial production. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2017.

  18. 78 FR 15033 - Vendor Outreach Workshop for Small Businesses in Georgia of the United States

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-08

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Secretary Vendor Outreach Workshop for Small Businesses... Workshop for small businesses in the Southeast region of the United States that are interested in doing business with the Department. This outreach workshop will review market contracting opportunities for the...

  19. Cryosphere Science Outreach using the NASA/JPL Virtual Earth System Laboratory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larour, E. Y.; Cheng, D. L. C.; Quinn, J.; Halkides, D. J.; Perez, G. L.

    2016-12-01

    Understanding the role of Cryosphere Science within the larger context of Sea Level Rise is both a technical and educational challenge that needs to be addressed if the public at large is to truly understand the implications and consequences of Climate Change. Within this context, we propose a new approach in which scientific tools are used directly inside a mobile/website platform geared towards Education/Outreach. Here, we apply this approach by using the Ice Sheet System Model, a state of the art Cryosphere model developed at NASA, and integrated within a Virtual Earth System Laboratory, with the goal to outreach Cryosphere science to K-12 and College level students. The approach mixes laboratory experiments, interactive classes/lessons on a website, and a simplified interface to a full-fledged instance of ISSM to validate the classes/lessons. This novel approach leverages new insights from the Outreach/Educational community and the interest of new generations in web based technologies and simulation tools, all of it delivered in a seamlessly integrated web platform, relying on a state of the art climate model and live simulations.

  20. Outreach activities in anticipation of the 2016 solar eclipse in Sorong

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Putra Raharja, Endra; Pramudya, Yudhiakto

    2016-11-01

    Sorong is located outside the narrow path of total solar eclipse on March 9th, 2016. The predicted obscuration of the sun was 94.2%. The public outreach to anticipate the solar eclipse was intended to educate students in junior and senior high school in Sorong Regency. Some of them are located in the remote area where the educational materials are difficult to find. The public outreach is unique, since it was run by the local person who is student of physics education. The student has both the ability to explain the solar eclipse phenomenon and able to adapt to knowledge level of students. The materials that were given to the schools are brochure and the eclipse glasses. Beside solar eclipse lectures in class, the pinhole workshop and observation practice were held. The limited materials and resources were faced during the public outreach. However, the enthusiasm was shown by the students and teachers. At least one of the schools held the solar eclipse observation on the day of the eclipse.