Helping Scientists and Educators Connect
by John Anderson and Catherine Cramer
COSEE New England has heard from both scientists and educators that it can be a challenge to find appropriate partners for ocean science education and outreach. Scientists don’t always know where to find a receptive audience, other than at conferences. Meanwhile, educators often have a hard time creating lessons and exhibits that incorporate cutting-edge science because they’re not sure where to look. It’s not so easy to make the connection.
We’re hoping to help change that. One way is by creating an online tool that both scientists and educators can use to find potential collaborators.
One example of such a tool that is already in use is the Registry of Science Outreach Volunteers (ROV) offered by the Woods Hole Science and Technology Education Partnership (WHSTEP). WHSTEP is a partnership of schools, scientific institutions, businesses, and community resources, whose purpose is to support, promote, and expand science and technology education and science literacy in the participating Massachusetts communities of Falmouth, Mashpee and Bourne. The purpose of the ROV is to help local teachers and students connect with researchers or others in the community who have scientific knowledge that they would like to share in an educational setting.
The ROV is the brainchild of Dr. Karen Bice, an Associate Scientist at WHOI, which grew out of her participation in the COSEE-NE project Telling Your Story. In discussions with other scientists, Dr. Bice discovered that those who are not parents of school-age children don't always know which resources local teachers look for, nor how to readily offer help. At the same time, local teachers who were asked said that what they most wanted was an easy way to identify a willing outreach volunteer. Through these conversations Dr. Bice was motivated to set up the ROV as an answer to these needs.
Using the web-based registry, volunteers can offer to provide specific activities (e.g., mentor a student or teacher, visit the classroom, assist with education grant proposal writing, or accompany a field trip) or materials (such as samples, data, and hands-on activities). The outreach options give volunteers new ideas about how to interact with teachers and students, and give teachers new ideas about available resources and current scientific research.
The ROV currently has 80 registrants from 9 different scientific organizations in the Woods Hole area. During the fall 2004 semester, the first months of availability of the ROV, at least five classroom visits and four teacher workshops were coordinated through the registry. In addition, several local high school students found volunteer mentors for science projects, some of which were completed at the scientist's home institution.
The registry welcomes scientists, technicians, graduate students, teachers and any local community member who has knowledge and enthusiasm to offer. Anyone may search the database of volunteers. For more information, go to http://www.whoi.edu/ccod/rov.html
