GLOBE Program Office News Brief
January 2009

Best wishes for a happy and vibrant New Year! May 2009 bring many opportunities for building a GLOBE Program full of hope for a peaceful, more sustainable world. View the GLOBE Holiday card.

Community Spotlight

Zakeya Ahmed Ali has been involved with the GLOBE Program for the past seven years, first serving as the Bahrain Country Coordinator, followed by serving as Chair of the GLOBE International Advisory Committee (GIAC) from 2006-2008, and currently as the GIAC Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa. She has played a vital role in establishing the GLOBE Program in Bahrain as well as strengthening GLOBE in the Near East and North Africa Region.

Ms. Ali earned her degree in English language and Education in 1985 at the University of Bahrain. She worked as a teacher of English for 15 years before joining the Bahrain Ministry of Education, after first becoming involved with the GLOBE Program. Ms. Ali now serves as Head of the Educational and Awareness Programs Sector at the Bahrain Ministry of Culture and Information, leading educational efforts with national delegations and international organizations in museum education and intercultural education. She is a member of the National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites in the Kingdom of Bahrain (ICOMOS Bahrain).

Ms. Ali maintains a strong interest in improving youth awareness in various civil and social fields. She continues to organize environmental, educational and cultural programs, activities, workshops and lectures for public and youth in Bahrain and the Region. In 2007, Ms. Ali was recognized as one of the current and emerging leaders in government, politics, the media, education, labor relations, the arts, business and other fields, by the U.S. Department of State and was invited to participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program, focused on Promoting Tolerance through the Arts. She is married and the mother of two charming girls.

GLOBE Around the World: Regional Update

The deadline is approaching for Request For Proposals (RFPs) for the establishment of formal GLOBE Regional Offices to ensure support services in the regions, to oversee the identification and employment of a Regional Desk Officer/Help Desk representative, and to implement a transition to sustainable operations for their respective GLOBE Region over the next 2 years (January 2009 – December 2010). Proposals are due to UCAR Contract Administrator, Alison Propoes by 3:00 P.M. Mountain Standard Time on Monday, 5 January 2009. North America (U.S. and Canada) will continue to operate under the management of UCAR.

Alison Propes, UCAR Contract Administrator
Email: apropes@ucar.edu
Telephone: 303-497-8877
Fax: 303-497-8502

The following schedule represents the timetable for the proposal and award process:

See last month's December 2008 News Brief for more details.

GLOBE Presence at Events and Conferences Around the World

Below you will find information about upcoming conferences and events organized and/or attended by members of the GLOBE Program Office and other GLOBE community members. We would like to post information about conferences that you, our Partners, plan to attend, but we depend on you to inform us. Let us know about conferences, events and professional development opportunities that you plan to participate in, and that others might join, before the 2Oth of each month by sending the information to communications@globe.gov.

• Global Climate Change Research and Education Workshop, Geneva, Switzerland, 25-28 January 2009

  

  Planning is underway for the GLOBE Student Research Campaign on Climate Change. Student research activities will be introduced to GLOBE schools in 2011, providing a framework for meaningful and relevant research to enhance climate literacy and understanding for millions of students and their communities worldwide. To begin to address the design and implementation of this campaign, GLOBE will host a Global Climate Change Research and Education Workshop from 25-28 January 2009, at the offices of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), in Geneva, Switzerland.

  The goal of the Global Climate Change Research and Education Workshop is to bring together the climate science and climate education communities to establish and secure their commitment to a global climate research campaign and to identify researchable questions and methods that will shape the overall focus of the campaign. Educators and scientists interested in the campaign are invited to become cyber-participants in pre and post-workshop discussions by emailing ClimateChangeCampaign@globe.gov.

  Attending from the GLOBE Program Office will be Dr. Ed Geary, Director, Dr. Teresa Kennedy, Deputy Director, Martos Hoffman, Head of the GLOBE Education Team, along with the soon-to-be-announced GLOBE Climate Change Campaign Manager. Participants include the 8 members of the GLOBE International Advisory Committee (GIAC), GLOBE Alumni representative Tomas Tunkl of the Czech Republic, along with approximately 20 additional GLOBE scientists and Partners.

Future Conference Opportunities

• National NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 18-22 March 2009
  18 March, Wednesday: North America Regional Meeting
  19 March, Thursday: NSTA International Day
  19 March, Thursday evening: GLOBE Community Reception
  20-22 March, Friday-Sunday: NSTA Conference Events

New Stars and Announcements on the GLOBE Web site

Stars and Announcements this past month include:

• The 2008 Surface Field Campaign
• New York City Schools Monitor Landfill to Park Conversion
• Texan Student Wins Science Fair with GLOBE Hydrology Project
• Join the S'Cool Project for Global Cloud Observation Day
• Thai Students Impress Alaskan Seasons and Biomes Team

Funding Opportunities

Don't forget to check for new announcements for funding sources on the GLOBE Funding Opportunities Page.

GLOBE Books and Publications

The News Brief will gladly highlight new GLOBE Partner and community members books and publications. Please send your submissions to communications@globe.gov.

This month we feature How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch, recently announced winner of School Library Journals Best Books of 2008, and other awards.

About the book:

When the weather changes daily, how do we really know that Earth's climate is changing? Here is the science behind the headlines - evidence from flowers, butterflies, birds, frogs, trees, glaciers and much more, gathered by scientists from all over the world, sometimes with assistance from young "citizen-scientists." Also included is what young people and their families and teachers, can do to learn about climate change and take action. Climate change is a critical and timely topic of deep concern, told here in an age-appropriate manner, with clarity and hope. Kids can make a difference!

This book combines the talents of two uniquely qualified authors: friend of GLOBE Lynne Cherry, a leading children's environmental writer/illustrator and author of The Great Kapok Tree, and Gary Braasch, photojournalist and author of Earth Under Fire: How Global Warming is Changing the World.

Thank you for reading the January 2009 News Brief and for staying abreast of developments at the GLOBE Program Office. We encourage your interaction and input. Please send your comments, questions, and nominations for the monthly Community Member "Spotlight", listing of conferences you have recently attended or plan to attend, and funding opportunities that you would like to share to communications@globe.gov.

Happy New Year!

All editions of the GLOBE Program Office News Brief are archived in the "For Partners" section of the GLOBE Web site here.