ED43C-3485:
Engaging Scientists in Meaningful E/PO: NASA Science4Girls and Their Families
Thursday, 18 December 2014
Bonnie K Meinke1, Denise A Smith1, Lora Bleacher2, Karin Hauck3 and Cassie Soeffing4, (1)Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States, (2)NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, United States, (3)Space Sciences Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States, (4)IGES, Sioux Falls, SD, United States
Abstract:
The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education and Public Outreach Forums coordinate the participation of SMD education and public outreach (EPO) programs in Women's History Month through the NASA Science4Girls and Their Families initiative. The initiative partners NASA science education programs with public libraries to provide NASA-themed hands-on education activities for girls and their families. These NASA science education programs are mission- and grant-based E/PO programs are uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. As such, the initiative engages girls in all four NASA science discipline areas (Astrophysics, Earth Science, Planetary Science, and Heliophysics), which enables audiences to experience the full range of NASA science topics and the different career skills each requires. The events focus on engaging underserved and underrepresented audiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations, and remote engagement of audiences.
