HR: 16:30h
AN: ED14A-03    [Abstracts]
TI: Science Writer-At-Sea: A New InterRidge Education Outreach Project Joining Scientists and Future Journalists
AU: * Kusek, K M
EM: kristenkusek@aol.com
AF: Kristen M. Kusek, 5280 A Coquina Key Dr. SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33705 United States
AU: Freitag, K
EM: coordinator@interridge.org
AF: Katja Freitag, InterRidge Office, Leibniz-Institut fur Meereswissenschaften, IFM-GEOMAR, Wischhofstr. 1-3 , Kiel, D-24148 Germany
AU: Devey, C
EM: cdevey@ifm-geomar.de
AF: Katja Freitag, InterRidge Office, Leibniz-Institut fur Meereswissenschaften, IFM-GEOMAR, Wischhofstr. 1-3 , Kiel, D-24148 Germany
AB: The Science Writer-at-Sea program is one small step in a marathon need for improved coverage of science and environmental issues. It targets two significant links in the Earth science communication pipeline: marine scientists and journalists; and attempts to reconnect people with the Earth by boosting their understanding of Earth science and its relevance to society. How it works: Journalism graduate students are invited to participate in oceanographic expeditions affiliated with InterRidge, an international organization dedicated to promoting ocean ridge research. InterRidge's outreach coordinator and science writer prepares each student for the expedition experience using materials she developed based on years of at-sea reporting. The students work side-by-side with the science writer and the scientists to research and write innovative journalistic stories for a general audience that are featured on a uniquely designed multimedia website that includes videos and images. The science, journalism and public communities benefit from this cost-effective program: science research is effectively showcased, scientists benefit from interactions with journalists, science outreach objectives are accomplished; student journalists enjoy a unique hands-on, `boot camp' experience; and the website enhances public understanding of `real' Earth science reported `on scene at sea.' InterRidge completed its first pilot test of the program in August 2005 aboard a Norwegian research cruise. A student writer entering the science journalism program at Columbia University participated. The results exceeded expectations. The team discovered the world's northernmost vent fields on the cruise, which expanded the original scope of the website to include a section specifically designed for the international press. The student was inspired by the cruise, amazed at how much she learned, and said she entered graduate school with much more confidence than she had prior to the program. The site, translated into German, and is being showcased in a museum in Germany. Given the great response from a diverse suite of reviewers, the team is now pursuing long term funding; additional partners in the science, education and journalism communities; and partnerships with marine science and education magazines.
UR: http://www.interridge.org/sciencewriteratsea/Norway2005/index.html
DE: 0810 Post-secondary education
DE: 0815 Informal education
DE: 0850 Geoscience education research
DE: 4200 OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005