12 Geoscience Education: Current Practice and Research II

Wednesday, 9 May 2012
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Alvarado C

EARTHSCOPE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: CURRENT ACTIVITY AND BROADER IMPACTS

Paper number: 12-4
Program: Theme Sessions
Time: 2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

Authors

Abstract

The EarthScope Program (www.earthscope.org), funded by the National Science Foundation, is catalyzing the exploration of the structure and evolution of North America by seismology, geodesy, magnetotellurics, in-situ fault-zone sampling, geochronology, and high-resolution topographic measurement. Interdisciplinary EarthScope science yields transformative knowledge for studying Earth processes and structures, addressing hazards, and informing resource exploration and environmental management. EarthScope data and technologies also offer unique opportunities to enhance formal and informal Earth science education.

The EarthScope National Office (ESNO) at Arizona State University serves the broad and diverse community of EarthScope stakeholders, including researchers, educators, and the general public. ESNO actively supports and promotes education and outreach (E&O) with a website, a presence on all major social media, biannual conferences, newsletters, continuing-education programs for researchers, workshops for E&O providers and informal educators (interpreters), and resources and guidance for K-12 teacher professional development activities conducted by EarthScope stakeholders. EarthScope E&O, infused with a place-based and educator-centered ethos, coordinates the compilation and presentation of the exciting findings and scientific legacy of the continental scale EarthScope Program. We present reports and outcomes from current ESNO E&O activities including an Earth Science E&O Provider Summit for partnering organizations and an Interpretive Workshop for professionals in informal Earth science education.

The EarthScope National Office is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants EAR-1101100 and EAR-1216301. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.