HR: 11:50h
AN: ED41E-07    [PDF]
TI: Bridging the Gap Between Ocean Science and Education: Creating Effective Partnerships With Informal Science Education Centers
AU: * Peach, C
EM: cpeach@ucsd.edu
AF: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 United States
AU: Franks, S
EM: sfranks@ucsd.edu
AF: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 United States
AU: Helling, H
EM: hhelling@ocean-institute.org
AF: Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, CA 92629 United States
AU: Solomon, E
EM: esolomon@ocean-institute.org
AF: Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point, CA 92629 United States
AU: Driscoll, N
EM: ndriscoll@ucsd.edu
AF: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 United States
AU: Babcock, J
EM: jbabcock@ucsd.edu
AF: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 United States
AB: Many scientists would describe an effective E\&O partnership as one that did not take up too much of their time. The California Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (CA COSEE), educators at the Ocean Institute (OI), Dana Point, and researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) have collaborated to develop a highly efficient, productive and rewarding approach to crafting scientist/educator partnerships. These efforts represent a new model for facilitated collaboration between informal science education and research partners. Each partner brings unique elements to this collaboration. The Ocean Institute's recently funded Sea Floor Science Exhibition represents an innovative approach to exhibits and programming for K-12 students and the public. The exhibits and programs are firmly grounded in the needs of the formal science education community (i.e. standards based), designed to be constructed/created on extremely short time frames (months), convertible for both public display and programming needs and easily updated. Scripps researchers, as well as those from other institutions, provide briefings on their ongoing research work, loan or donate equipment and instrumentation both for use and display, and in some cases provide research experiences for OI staff and students. CA-COSEE acts as the catalyst, identifying and engaging researchers from disciplines that are consistent with OI exhibit and program goals, serve as a liaison between newly introduced scientists and educators and facilitate the incorporation of E\&O components in scientists research proposals, including funding for future exhibits. Using the example of the newest Sea Floor Science exhibit, "Slopes, Slides and Tsunamis!", we will describe the role each partner has played in creating this research based exhibit and program, the chronology of the process, and how this approach will provide the basis for a long-term, sustained partnership between the researchers and science educators.
DE: 6605 Education
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting