Earth System Science Education: NSF Update

1
Earth System Science Education NSF Update

• Jill Karsten
• Program Director, GEO Diversity Education
• National Science Foundation
• CESE Meeting - March 2, 2007

2
Broad Program Changes at NSF

• Shift toward Earth System Science
• Increasing emphasis on evaluation
• Leveraging of research investments and other NSF
  investments (e.g., EHR)
• Strategic planning within GEO to promote synergy
  of education programs and investments

3
Program Updates

• GeoEd next competition in Nov. 2007
  solicitation revision likely
• OEDG just completed competition next
  competition in Fall 2008 (revised solicitation)
• GLOBE FY06 competition 4 IESSP projects
• DLESE in transition
• GEO-Teach 2 awards in FY06 next competition
  probably in late FY09
• Other opportunities CI-TEAM

4
National ESS Reform Opportunities

• RAGS Report reforming STEM education
• ACI more for physical science, but not GEO
• ACC emphasis on inter-agency coordination
  rigorous evaluation
• AP Environmental Science
• New National Standards?
• Broadening participation issues
• Should broader impacts equal broadening
  participation?

5
Inter-agency Efforts

• What do people need to know to be ESS literate?
• Ocean concepts exist Climate/Atmosphere in the
  works
• Solid Earth/Surficial Processes component needed
• What is the current state of ESS education?
• How does this map to what people need to know?
• What are the economic drivers for ESS education?
• What is a realistic battle plan for reforming ESS
  education (formal informal) in the next 5
  years?
• How do we unite the ESS scientific and education
  communities around a common battle plan?
• How do we get other (the right!) stakeholders
  involved?

6
Next Steps

• Informal discussions with research, education
  politically astute community leaders
• MREFC Education Managers workshop
• Pursuing a 2-pronged game plan
• Complete definition of ESS literacy concepts
• Major (NAS?) summit on reforming ESS education
• Should we consider a global ESS model?