The Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, is offering a yearlong marine science program for 9-12th grade science teachers and students in the greater Topeka, KS area. Planting AntaRctica in KAnsas (Project PARKA) will connect teachers and students with research scientists to learn about interdisciplinary oceanographic research taking place on the West Antarctic Peninsula to characterize the connection between ocean chemistry, climate change, and Antarctic food webs.

During the year, students will learn the research mission science through participating in classroom activities (Fall 2013), following mission blogs and talking with scientists at Palmer Station, Antarctica, through Live Video Broadcasts (January 2014), and meeting the research scientists while presenting their own research at a spring Student Research Symposium (May 2014). Teachers will participate in a summer workshop (July 16-17, 2013) to learn about the research science and education project. Participating teachers will be provided a stipend for their involvement, contingent upon completion of all phases of the project.

For additional information and to receive an application, view the attached flyer or contact:
Kristin Hunter-Thomson
Program Coordinator
Email: hunterthomson@marine.rutgers.edu
Phone: 848.932.3281

Deadline for applying is June 15, 2013. The project is limited to 20 teachers.

Pass along this information to any of your colleagues that you think would be interested in participating.

Click here to view the project flyer.

** We will be creating the project’s website (coseenow.net/project-parka/) in the coming week. **

The objective was to 1) to quantify the number of undergraduate professors teaching ocean science and using data in their teaching, 2) some information on their teaching practices (how they were using data in teaching), and 3) information about their needs related to teaching with data in the ocean sciences. To learn more about this needs assessment and its findings, download the Survey Report.

Where: Art & Science Gallery at Museum of Science, Boston
When: February 16 through May 2013
Cost: Free with Exhibit Halls admission

Explore the planet’s last true frontier – the ocean – and encounter swirling currents traced in light, mysterious seascapes rendered in paint, and delicate marine life etched in vibrant color. At Ocean Stories you will find works of art by a unique collective of artists and scientists.

Eight professional artists were paired with ocean scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The artists and scientists were challenged to translate across disciplines and formulate a shared voice. This dialogue motivated the scientists to consider their research through an aesthetic lens, and the artists to develop new visual strategies for communicating science in engaging ways. The result is a creative expression of cutting-edge oceanography.

Imbued with a sense of exploration and discovery, these works emerge from an inquiry-based pursuit that is common to art and science alike. They present a commentary on the multifaceted nature of both scientific research and artistic expression, as well as the broader implications that these have for society as a whole.

Ocean Stories is an exhibit where ocean science ventures beyond the customary context of laboratories and academic journals and enters into the realm of art!

***Special event – “Behind Ocean Stories: Collaborators Talk”: Panel discussion on March 3, 2013, 1pm – 3pm

. At this special event, join the artists and scientists at Museum of Science as they give a series of 5 minute talks and lead a brief panel discussions. There will also be an opportunity to tour the exhibit with the artists and scientists.

About Synergy:
Synergy is an experimental program that catalyzes partnerships between artists and research scientists. With an emphasis on communication and collaboration, Synergy aims to provide meaningful creative and intellectual experiences for both the general public and for participating artists and scientists.

About Museum of Science:
One of the world’s largest science centers and Boston’s most attended cultural institution, the Museum introduces about 1.5 million visitors a year to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) via dynamic programs and hundreds of interactive exhibits.

Contacts -
FOR SYNERGY:
www.synergyexhibit.org
synergyexhibit@gmail.com
Whitney Bernstein, Executive Director and Founder, 818-399-7359
Lizzie Kripke, Co-Director, 215-407-2324

FOR MUSEUM OF SCIENCE:
www.mos.org
Lauren Crowne, lcrowne@mos.org, 617-589-0250
AJ Gosselin, agosselin@mos.org, 617-589-0251

It is here! The next Ocean Lecture & Educators’ Night…

Who: Dr. Daphne Munroe
What: Shellfish Biology, Fisheries, & Modelling

How to learn more information about the event and to register?
Visit the Dr. Daphne Munroe Ocean Lecture & Educators’ Night webpage.

We hope to see you there!
Thanks, the MARE team

Workshop Time: 9am –5pm

Workshop Location: Howard University

Workshop Participants – WHO should attend?
Early career scientists:

• Those holding a doctoral degree and who are employed in a post-doctoral or tenure-track (or tenure-track-equivalent) position as an assistant professor (or equivalent title)
• Advanced graduate student at an accredited U.S. institution

Workshop Purpose – WHY should I attend?
Scientists are increasingly being asked to communicate the “broader impacts” of their work. With the threat of a decline in both the scientific workforce and the public’s literacy on ocean and environmental science issues, the time is now for stepping up our efforts to promote ocean literacy.

Although there is no single approach for a successful integrated research and education plan, this workshop will build the foundation for attendees to think creatively about how their research will impact their education goals and, conversely, how their education activities will feed back into their research. When research and education are effectively interconnected, the process of discovery can help stimulate learning and the resulting research can be communicated to a broader audience.

Workshop Focus:
The Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) facilitates partnerships between scientists and education professionals (including formal and informal educators, learning scientists, psychologists, and media professionals) to collectively work toward the improvement of public literacy about our ocean. Please join us for a workshop series featuring demonstrations and discussions on the following skills, which we’ve organized into four, interconnected gears or areas:

• Gear #1: Deconstruct Your Science
  When translating scientific research, it helps to break down your message into its key components. This gear focuses on two methods for deconstructing your message including Concept Mapping and Storytelling.
• Gear #2: Understand How People Learn
  What does educational research say about how people learn and what can this tell us about effective ways to teach our students and communicate with the public? This gear focuses on sharing some information about how people learn, and sets the stage for incorporating effective strategies for learning into your practice as you share science with various and diverse audiences.
• Gear #3: Build Effective Communication Techniques
  Learners build an understanding of the world around them through their experiences, motivation, and social interactions. This gear includes information about how you can apply concepts, and effective practices and strategies gleaned from the learning sciences, into your education and outreach efforts.
• Gear #4: Broaden the Reach of Your Science
  The ability to share your scientific message with those outside your research group is critical for career advancement. With funding trends moving towards large collaborative research programs, it is more important than ever that scientists collaborate not only within their discipline, but also across and beyond scientific disciplines. The focus of this gear is on networking and collaboration techniques that will help you develop and disseminate your message to potential collaborators and the general public.
  Deconstructing your science

For additional information on this event, please contact Dr. Carrie Ferraro at ferraro@marine.rutgers.edu.

Interested in Attending?
Register here by February 18th.

Download the flyer for this event to share with friends and colleagues.