Communications, Networking and Outreach

Outreach

  Exhibit Advisors at BAS

The mission of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps (BAS) is threefold: [1] To provide ocean science education through creative exhibits and programs designed to help people use critical thinking and to make science relevant to their daily lives; [2] To interpret Scripps Institution of Oceanography research, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of the sciences used to study Earth and inspire public support of scientific endeavors; [3] To promote conservation through education and research, believing that with increased understanding of the oceans, people will respect and protect the marine environment.   BAS hosts more than 360,000 visitors per year, including many K-12 and college students. JIMO and JIMO scientists played a critically important role as exhibit developers and exhibit development advisors on the BAS climate exhibit Feeling the Heat: The Climate Challenge. (http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/Exhibits/Feeling_the_Heat/) JIMO researchers served as primary exhibit consultants, provided material and intellectual resources and reviewed exhibit components for scientific accuracy. Exhibit advisors include JIMO fellows R. Somerville (lead science advisor for the exhibit) T. Barnett, D. Cayan, C. Charles, R. Keeling, J. McGowan, A. Miller, H. Nguyen, V. Ramanathan and D. Roemmich. Members of Dean Roemmich’s laboratory worked with education and outreach coordinator (E. Simms) to integrate concepts and data from the ARGO project into a feature element of the exhibit.  

Two students take in one of the exhibits in the “Feeling the Heat: The Climate Challenge” collection at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps  

  Scripps Institution of Oceanography/San Diego Unified School District Teacher Professional Development

Scripps Institution of Oceanography has recently embarked on a partnership with San Diego Unified School District, offering summer teacher professional development workshops on topics in Earth systems sciences for district middle and high school teachers. The week-long workshops include presentations, hands-on demonstrations and field trips by researchers from SIO. Andrew Dickson made a presentation related to his JIMO research in the inaugural recent workshop.  

  Perspectives on Ocean Sciences Lecture Series:

http://www.aquarium.ucsd.edu/public/persp_online.cfm The Birch Aquarium at Scripps Perspectives on Ocean Science lecture series is a monthly event designed to inform the general public about research activities at SIO. Researchers create engaging, accessible presentations that typically draw more than 100 guests. Each lecture is filmed and edited by UCSD-TV for broadcast via UCSD-TV, UC-TV and their cable affiliates nationwide (a potential audience of more than 14 million viewers). Archived lectures are streamed from then UCSD-TV and Birch Aquarium web sites as well as from Google video, greatly extending the impact and life of any lecture. Each presentation is digitized and can be viewed online via the UCSD-TV and Birch websites. To date, 10 JIMO fellows (D. Cayan, J. Hildebrand, J. Jackson, J. Orcutt, D. Rudnick, L. Levin, R. Guza, E. Terrill, R. Somerville, M. Ohman) have made presentations in this highly successful and far-reaching program.  

  SCOPE

SCOPE, Scripps Community Outreach and Public Education, is an organization of graduate students, faculty and staff at SIO who have come together to identify, as well as create, E&O opportunities for SCOPE members. Students working in JIMO funded labs have participated in a variety of SCOPE sponsored outreach activities including helping with K-12 curriculum review, staff briefings and assistance with program planning with many science education organizations external to SIO. JIMO graduate student Lisa Munger (J. Hildebrand lab) is the leader of the organization (2006-2007).  

  SCCOOS (PIs: J. Orcutt, R. Davis, E. Terrill) Education and Outreach program  

The Ocean Institute in Dana Point has been a partner in SCCOOS E&O development since 2004 when early efforts focused on understanding how SCCOOS products could help classroom teachers with required content standards in earth sciences. Nine 5th Grade classes participated in the initial development and testing of a comprehensive 9-week Weather and Water curriculum. SCCOOS E&O work served as a catalyst for attracting additional funding from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation and during the 2005-2006 school year the program was delivered to 100 5th grade classes in 17 school districts throughout Orange County, California. The project has been refunded for the 2006-2007 school year where mechanisms will be tested for sustainability and increased dissemination. A. Dickson and his colleagues participated in the review of elementary school ‘Weather and Water’ curriculum materials developed in coordination with The Ocean Institute (Dana Point, CA).  

  COSMOS

http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/cosmos/

COSMOS (http://www.ucop.edu/cosmos/) is the California Summer School in Math and Science–a program designed to encourage and inspire bright high school students to pursue an academic career in Math, Science or Engineering. The program, which has been running for several years at three UC campuses (Davis, Irvine and Santa Cruz) started at UCSD in summer 2005. Andrew Dickson is teaching a summer course cluster focused on Global Change entitled “The Oceans and Climate Change.”  

  Elementary School Presentations on Geodetics

Y. Bock and members of CSRC gave numerous presentations to local (San Diego) elementary school students about measuring the earth and the use of satellites and new technologies to do so.  

  Middle School Presentation of Research Cruise Work

L. Levin discussed her recent cruise on methane seeps and deep-sea habitats with National City Middle School students on June 9, 2007, National City, California.  

  Participation in Ocean Week 2007

Presentation of J. Jackson’s research on Florida Keys historical ecology to Rancho Santa Fe (San Diego, CA) Elementary School students.  

  Lectures to after-school and summer education students at Peabody Museum, Yale University

CSTAR member S. Alonzo participated in the ‘Evolutions’ after-school and ‘Expeditions’ summer education outreach program at the Yale Peabody Museum by presenting CSTAR research to students in a lecture series. ‘Evolutions’ is an after-school program for middle and high schools student from the New Haven public school district and targets students from groups traditionally under-represented in science and engineering.  

  Salmon Biology and Conservation Outreach

The Salmon Biology group at UC Santa Cruz gave numerous classroom presentations on Salmon biology and the importance of conservation to Westlake and Holy Cross Elementary Schools (Santa Cruz, CA), as well as a tour of the group’s research lab to a local Girl Scout Troop.  

  Boy Scouts of America – Archaeology Merit Badge

CSTAR member C. Boone assisted a local boy scout in earning a merit badge in archaeology.