65 Geoscience Education: EarthScope, Outreach, & Program Evaluation

Monday, 5 November 2012
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
210AB

EARTHSCOPE NATIONAL OFFICE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAM: 2012 UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES AND BROADER IMPACTS

Paper number: 65-5
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:00 AM – 9:15 AM

Authors

Abstract

The EarthScope Program (www.earthscope.org), funded by the National Science Foundation, fosters interdisciplinary exploration of the geologic structure and evolution of the North American continent by means of seismology, geodesy, magnetotellurics, in-situ fault-zone sampling, geochronology, and high-resolution topographic measurements. EarthScope scientific data and findings are transforming the study of Earth structure and processes throughout the planet. These data enhance the understanding and mitigation of hazards and inform environmental and economic applications of geoscience. The EarthScope Program also offers unique resources and opportunities for geoscience education and outreach (E&O).

The EarthScope National Office (ESNO) at Arizona State University serves all EarthScope stakeholders: comprising researchers, educators, students, and the general public. ESNO actively supports and promotes geoscience E&O with programmatic activities such as a regularly updated presence on the web and social media, newsletters, biannual national conferences, workshops for E&O providers and informal educators (interpreters), collaborative interaction with other geoscience organizations, continuing education for researchers, promotion of place-based education, and support for regional K-12 teacher professional-development programs led by EarthScope stakeholders. EarthScope E&O, coordinated by ESNO, leads the compilation and dissemination of the data, findings, and legacy of the epic EarthScope Program. In this presentation we update ESNO E&O activities and outcomes, including web and social-media upgrades, the Earth Science E&O Provider Summit for partnering organizations, the Central Appalachian Interpretive Workshop for informal Earth science educators, the U.S. Science and Engineering Fair, and collaborative efforts with partner organizations. 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.