Splinter Meeting of Project Leaders in International Education Efforts on Environmental Science Vienna, April 6 th

Definition of education and outreach: Education and outreach discussed here shall focus basically on the development, provision and dissemination for user groups with the knowledge of average citizens: - Schools up to the secondary school level - Citizens not involved in science - Upper knowledge limit: teacher training For future educational symposia we should give a clearer definition for the respective session: -> education in schools -> outreach for the public -> education on graduates and university students For these groups specific meeting and joint meetings can be set up, discussing either group specific problems or common challenges.

Long term efforts in schools addresses basic knowledge of pupils Types of educational projects Long term efforts for graduates: long term research schools university courses Short term efforts in schools addresses excitement for science and motivation Short term efforts for graduates: summer schools special events Difficulty in organising and handling of sustainability

Why shall scientists train non-scientists? scientists science journalists knowledge School book authors media -> publicschool books -> pupils Loss of quality

Challenge 1: Content and curricula Setup of a shared content overview database for contents: a)realised b)under construction c)planned Applicability check: Scientific programs will not change the school curricula so soon. How do we assure, that the material is suitable for day to day teaching in the classroom? Do you carry out pedagogic evaluation?

Challenge 1+2: Reducing Overlaps, Cooperation Joint link list database Pool of recommended links sorted by different categories Projects 1, 2, 3... develop link list Permanent validity check own website Project 1 Project 2 Project 3... Project X other projects order field / language / subject specific updated information from the pool RSS

Challenge 2: Co-operation between Projects, Updates, Strategies Problem of the „half life“ of scientific information Sustainable publication requires also to care about the fate of a product after the end of its production. We should not offer outdated material to schools. This has to be considered from the beginning. valid outdated

Challenge 2: Co-operation between Projects, Updates, Strategies Potential solution for the update challenge: Developing small modules in a shared environmental learning area with a „half life“ information. The user shall know how fast the information might be outdated or if it is already outdated. Wiki or open source approach among partners in the learning area. Project leaders and project partners sign an agreement that the resources can be reused changed and extended in other projects / future projects Agreements on standards in publication tools, which can be accessed by succeeding projects.

Challenge 2: Co-operation between Projects, Updates, Strategies Example for a long term usage plan Project A: publication Time: year xyear x + 8 Publication A: 8 years later Trash Project B: publication Update in project B updated Usage and interlinks

Challenge 2: Co-operation between Projects, Updates, Strategies Communication strategies: Shared website on International education and outreach Regulary annual educational leaders meeting during the EGU assembly Regulary communication and mutual information about plans of larger projects and planned applications for funding in education and outreach Activity strategies: Creating interlinks between projects Develop complementary activities Concrete exchange of resources

Challenge 2: Co-operation between Projects, Updates, Strategies Example for resource / know how exchange Situation A: Project: ESPERE Encyclopaedia Problem: Topic ice and polar science missing Staff -: No expert on ice science involved Staff:+ Spanish scientist involved Situation B: Project: IPF Booklet on polar animals Problem: Spanish translation missing Staff -: No Spanish scientist involved Staff:+ ice researcher involved Topic ice and polar science realised Spanish booklet realised Exchange of resources

Challenge 3: addressing schools, translation How to get translation realised? a)In new projects b)In already realised projects for further expansion 3 examples: - QUANTIFY: website in draft English, application for funding for translation - ACCENT: smaller amounts for motivation of young scientists - ESPERE: some language branches completely funded, Portuguese on voluntary basis for free. How much can we / should we do on a voluntary basis?

Challenge 4: Addressing schools: Dissemination All projects can share and update a common contact list to teachers and schools An „international environmental newsletter“ can be written, summarising the news from all projects Schools can be involved in evaluation efforts: -> application for funding in EU call „eLearning“ Co-ordination of dissemination on a continental and intercontinental level

Challenge 4: Addressing schools - Dissemination Nat. Science teachers ass. Rings of hot-spots (outreach centres, teachers associations, education branches in research projects, etc.) NCAR UCAR North America eLSEE Worldwide organisations: XLPORA Europe EGU AGU IPF UNEP UNESCO ESPEREGLOBE ACCENT

Challenge 4: Addressing schools - Dissemination eLSEE XLPORA Europe EGU ACCENT The „continental rings“ decide about best dissemination ways. teachers scientists

Challenge 4: Addressing schools - Dissemination Concrete communication highway European teachers EGUXPLORA UCAR North American teachers+ public Geoscientists Windows to the Universe newsletter EGU newsletter XPLORA newsletter 20000? scientists teachers

Challenge 5: Fundraising, Outlook Education and outreach branches in research networks can be developed with the aim to contribute a project specific part to the joint learning area. Each project adds with a small fraction of the funding to.. … a joint international learning area.

Challenge 5: Fundraising, Outlook Beyond Europe: Options to cooperate with the North America: AGU cooperation Windows to the Universe Who cares and is willing to care about the developing countries and their growing population? Example: Asia link program in the European Union World population North-America Europe