FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 26, 2006
Arlington, Va.-- The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) has been awarded a $3 million cooperative agreement by the National Science Foundation to support colleges and universities in the professional development of pre-service, middle and high school teachers through the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA).
The ESSEA program is highlighted by a series of online Earth system science courses geared toward teachers of specific grade levels and aligned to national science education standards. Working in collaborative groups, teachers can earn undergraduate, graduate or continuing education credit while learning to teach Earth system science using inquiry-based classroom methods.
"The exciting news is that teachers deserve the very best tools to help their students and their classrooms," said IGES's Bob Myers, principal investigator for ESSEA. "This program has the potential to contribute significantly to what is happening in Earth system science at the middle and high school levels."
Myers joined IGES in October to lead the new ESSEA program. He recently served as executive director of the Challenger Space Center in Peoria, Ariz., where he led the informal science center's efforts to inspire the next generation of space explorers. He has a history of directing successful science education and professional development projects.
The NSF-funded program will build and expand on the original ESSEA program funded by NASA and administered by IGES from 2000 to 2005. IGES will update the existing courses with additional online tools, modules and materials, and the number of educational institutions offering the courses is expected to increase from 17 to 40.
Both Myers and co-principal investigator Theresa Schwerin, IGES's associate director of education, were instrumental in developing and implementing the initial ESSEA courses and infrastructure.
"This is an opportunity for IGES to capitalize on the solid foundation it established during the first ESSEA program," said Wayne Chen, chairman of IGES's board of directors. "With the support of NSF, I'm confident that IGES has assembled a team capable of taking ESSEA to the next level."
IGES will assist participating schools by helping them create a sustainable infrastructure for delivering the courses, and by providing evaluation tools to ensure that, upon course completion, teachers have a strong understanding of Earth system science and how to effectively teach the subject. In addition, IGES will inform ESSA participants about the latest Earth system science research and teaching practices through presentations at conferences, Webcasts and other means of communication.
Colleges and universities interested in joining ESSEA are invited to respond to a solicitation due to be released by IGES in early 2007. To receive the solicitation when it is released, please send an email to essea@strategies.org.
ESSEA is funded under the National Science Foundation's Geoscience Teacher Training (GEO-Teach) program, which supports projects designed to improve the quality of geoscience education, primarily at the middle and high school levels. GEO-Teach projects provide pre-service teacher training, in-service professional development and access to high-quality curricular materials.
"Recent natural events like Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Sumatran tsunami, as well as looming issues related to global warming, energy and freshwater resources, clearly demonstrate a growing imperative to substantially improve public understanding about Earth systems," said Jill Karsten, NSF program director for diversity and education.
"To achieve this goal through formal education channels requires a well-trained Earth system science teacher workforce. I expect ESSEA to really push the envelope in reaching a lot of teachers and providing them with high-quality experiences that address their specific needs," Karsten added.
Located in Arlington, Va., IGES was established in 1994 and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supported by public and private entities. IGES is a trusted leader in Earth and space science education, communication and outreach, and in fostering national and international cooperation in observing the Earth.
For more information, please visit: http://www.strategies.org/essea
CONTACT
Dan Stillman
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
(703) 312-7138 (Phone)
(703) 312-8657 (FAX)
E-mail: dan_stillman@strategies.org