Blackside, Inc. is producing a television series and an outreach component about minority scientists. The goals of the six-hour prime-time series, "Breakthrough: People of Color in Science," are to raise the consciousness of the general public that is largely unaware of the significant contribution of scientists of color and to provide role models that will encourage young people to consider science and engineering careers. The programs will feature the work of contemporary African-American, Latino and Native American scientists and engineers who are active in cell biology, astrophysics, applied mathematics and other fields of science. The stories of their scientific achievements will present both women and men, old and young, at different stages of their careers, and will explore the professional, educational and social worlds they live and work in. Viewers will have immediate access to a comprehensive follow-up effort that will connect them with local, regional and national opportunities in informal science education. Blackside will collect information from existing resources and institutions as well using source material from several extensively researched databases geared toward minority students. Using all of this information, Blackside will create a metadatabase that will connect teachers, parents, mentors, and students to a rich variety of educational programs: extracurricular classes, mentoring programs, national science contests, teacher training workshops, and a myriad of on-line services. To ensure immediate access and, where possible, to customize the information to viewers needs, Blackside will disseminate it through a variety of means: an 800-number with a direct fax-back capability, an on-line service, a CD-ROM, and a printed packet delivered by mail. A principal target audience is gatekeepers in students' lives: parents, teachers, and scientists interested in becoming mentors. The target audience also includes students from fourth th rough twelfth grades. Joseph Blatt will serve a PI for this project and co-executive producer for the television series. His previous experience include serving as executive producer of "Scientific American FRONTIERS" and as a producer/director for several NOVA programs. He also has been executive producer for three television series/college credit courses in mathematics. Henry Hampton will be the other co-executive producer. He was the creator and executive producer of the 14-hour, award winning series, "Eyes on the Prize," about America's civil rights movement. The principal educational consultant will be Ceasar McDowell, assistant professor of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Michael Ambrosino, the original executive producer of NOVA, will be the principal science television consultant.
Wisconsin Public Broadcast will incorporate a science strand in "Get Real!," their television series for children 8-12 year olds in Wisconsin. The series presents positive images of children involved in, and succeeding at, a variety of areas. The Wisconsin-based stories are field-produced; and kids are involved on-screen and off as hosts, reporters, subjects of stories, as interns during production, and as sources of story ideas. The series is broadcast on both public and commercial stations in Wisconsin and receives multiple repeats. The science and technology strand: . connects science concepts to children's known experiences and activities and tells stories about kids involved in science-related activities; . models and reinforces positive attitudes towards, and involvement in science and technology and affirms the value of children's ideas, and the importance of asking why?; and . reinforces viewers' active connection to the science content by making suggestions for projects to get involved with, and by encouraging children to discuss and question their knowledge of science and the world around them. The series is an important element integrated into both informal and formal education throughout Wisconsin. It is supported by teacher materials and science video segments that are sent to every elementary school in Wisconsin. In season two, material also will be created for parents and children to use at home. A "Get Real!" kids club helps kids feel ownership of the series. Members receive a newsletter that includes suggested at-home science activities, book lists related to the series, features about the show, places for families to visit, and behind-the-scenes articles about kids in the series. Every elementary school library and public library in the state also received "Get Real!" materials including a poster and display items. James Steinback, the creator, original producer, and executive producer of "Newton's Apple," will be the co-PI with overall responsibility for the project. Kathy Bissen will be executive producer of "Get Real!" and David Wallach will be series producer. The series is produced in the three Wisconsin Public Television studios -- in Madison, Green Bay, and Menomonie -- and, therefore, can find and produce statewide stories.
The Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association (WETA) is producing and disseminating "Green Technology," a multimedia project that promotes active learning about environmentally beneficial technologies for the home, the workplace, and the community. The objective of the project are to change or consolidate the public's concepts about the fundamental relationships between the environment and technology at the grassroots pocketbook level, to enhance their understanding of the pertinent science and technology, and to provide them with practical information about how to take action for oneself and in the fulfillment of a wider civic responsibility. The components of the project include: o Three one-hour prime time television programs o Community Outreach through the National Community Education Association and their affiliates in 40 states. o Development of community education material including a 30-minute highlight tape to serve as a discussion springboard with accompanying discussion and resource guides. o A Viewer's Newsletter for each program which will include short articles on the basic science and technology explored in the program and a "What You Can Do" section. o A CD-ROM for use by parents and children at home and by students in school. o On-line information clearing house the SOLSTICE, the digital library of energy and environmental resources operated by the Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology. o Teacher enhancement materials and activities for middle schools to be disseminated through the Teacher Educator's Network of the Association of Science-Technology Centers. o The National Academy of Engineering will identify engineers who can serve as "on-line consultants" to students and teachers involved in examining specific environmental issues. Richard Thomas, previously Executive Producer for "Mystery of the Senses" and "The World of Chemistry," will be PI and Executive Producer. Principal Content Advisory will be S. William Gouse, chief scientist and President of Energy Systems and Technology at MITRE. William McDonough, Dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia, will be the host of the television series.
National Public Radio is seeking to expand its coverage of scientific issues in two ways: through the creation of a new Environmental Reporting Unit, and through the introduction of SCIENCE FRIDAY, a two hour call-in talk show dedicated to scientific issues. Each of these projects will be supported by an extensive outreach effort targeted at local schools, community groups, science museums, and nature centers. Through the Environmental Reporting Unit, NPR plans to produce eight to ten half hour documentary reports per year on critical environmental issues. Each of these reports will be available to listeners on cassette and will be accompanied by supporting documentation. The SCIENCE FRIDAY team will engage NPR's audience in a lively debate on questions ranging from nuclear physics to archaeology. In addition, SCIENCE FRIDAY will travel to high schools and museums across the country and engage in question and answer sessions with students, teachers, parents and school administrators. These "on the road" segments will be supplemented by live broadcasts from annual meetings of the National Association for Science (NAS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Through these efforts, NPR will be able to draw listener attention to the need for improved science and mathematics education, while helping listeners make informed evaluations of current public policy in these areas.
BACKYARD SAFARI (Working Title) is an engaging series of 26 half hour programs designed to introduce topics in Natural Science to children ages four to six. The series will be shot on-location and hosted by an appealing young women of color, who will serve as a role model to female and minority children who are normally disenfranchised from participation in science. A variety of settings and topics will be used that appeal to all preschoolers -- from urban/inner cities to surburbia to Appalachia. A special feature of the series will be an animated gnome - like character called Crinkleroot. Using the rotoscope technique similar to that in the "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", Crinklroot will interact in screen with the host and special, acquired footage. Thus, Crinkleroot is able to do things the host can't do -- for example, interacting with time-lapse photography as a flower blooms, or as a spider climbs its web. Outreach to parents and childcare providers will be an important part of BACKYARD SAFARI. It is imperative to communicate that all children, regardless of race, sex, or disability are "science material." Activities will be developed that engage adults and children in hands-on, physical science activities using materials commonly found in any home or school.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Twila LiggettCecily TruettLaurence LancitBarbara Flagg
Quest Productions is producing and testing the pilot phase for a series of weekly television programs entitled, Doing It. The series which is targeted at six to ten year olds is co-production with KCTS, the producer of Bill Nye the Science Guy in Seattle, will focus on science and technology-oriented themes by introducing viewers to men and women who develop and apply science and technology in their everyday lives. In each program, two young "explorers" will journey to a place in the real world that fascinates them and, with an adult guide, explore the inner workings of the particular site and how science is involved in what the person does. An additional character, a young woman named Howzit Work, will serve as a role model for the process of figuring out how and why things work. Each episode will end with a Doing It at Home segment which feature an activity or investigation selected from one of the activities designed by the GEMS project at the Lawrence Hall of Science. Ancillary material designed to encourage child/parent involvement is science include a Doing It booklet, and Internet Home Page, and a CD-ROM. The PI and Senior Producer will be Bill Jersey. His children's TV credits include 3-2-1 Contact, Sesame Street, and Bi-Lingual Children's Television. Pierre Valette, who helped develop and produce the pilot for Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is the creator of the project and will serve as Project Director. The Executive-in-charge of Production at KCTS is Elizabeth Brock, one of the developers of Bill Nye the Science Guy. The Senior Science Consultant is Ted Ansbacher, former Director of Exhibits at the New York Hall of Science. Evaluation will be conducted by Barbara Flagg. They will work closely with an advisory team of formal and informal science educators.
KCTS has received support for the production and outreach for the second season of 'Bill Nye the Science Guy.' Each program in the 39 program series will focus on a single science theme developed around two or three learning outcomes and is presented with a fast and colorful pace and style suited for today's generation of nine and ten year old viewers. The host, Bill Nye, joins viewers and guests as they explore science topics in his laboratories and in field locations. Children also will perform on-camera experiments in a home setting. In most shows, guest scientists and celebrities, selected to ensure a diverse representation, will be featured. Segments in the programs include: 'Check it Out' a small experiment performed in the lab or at home by child actors. 'Try This at Home' an experiment viewers may attempt at home after receiving instructions on the air. 'Way Cool Scientist' a scientist demonstrating his or her work as it relates to the topic of the program. 'Music Video Parody' video tailored to popular music genres such as rap or 'grunge' or pop music. 'Consider the Following' Bill presents a concept to the viewer in a one on one segment. 'Big Demonstration' Bill, in the laboratory, uses equipment to demonstrate an element of the theme. 'Celebrity Cameos' featuring both teen and adult celebrities with a high recognition factor. 'Fake commercials' like the music videos, humor ous parodies of advertising. Outreach for the second season will include a quarterly newsletter to be mailed to viewers homes. This eight page newsletter will include regular columns such as 'Ask Bill' and 'Try this at Home.' It will be designed to appeal to children ages 8 to 12 and will contain a column for parents. During the second season, at-home science kits will again be available to viewers. These free kits will enable children and their families to perform scientific experiments together at home. The video series will be produced by McKenna/Gottlieb Producers Inc. and KCTS Television and will be syndicated for broadcast by Buena Vista Television (the syndication division of Disney Productions). The second season also will be broadcast daily on PBS. This will give the series a presence on both public broadcasting and on commercial television in many markets. Buena Vista Television will provide $3,000,000 toward the production budget and PBS will provide $2,000,000 for production. KCTS is seeking a corporate underwriter to provide $1,000,000 for additional outreach and promotion. Elizabeth Brock of KCTS will be Executive in Charge of the project. Bill Nye is the principal science writer for the series as well as host of the series. The series producers will be Erren Gottlieb and James E. McKenna. These four people will serve as Co-PI's of the project. The advisory committee consists of scientists, science educators, evaluators, and curriculum developers. Members include: H. Prentice Baptiste, Arthur B. Ellis, Caroline Herzenberg, Gilbert S. Omenn, Senta A. Raizen, Matthew H. Schneps, Paul H. Williams, Carole Ann Kubota, and Sally Luttrell-Montes.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Elizabeth BrockWilliam NyeJames McKennaErren Gottlieb
Nebraskans for Public Television are producing three programs in the "Reading Rainbow" series that focus on mathematics and developing and implementing a special math outreach effort aimed at parents with a secondary audience of teachers. The programs will take a literature-based approach to mathematics which helps make it possible ". . . for children to have the same authentic experiences with math that they are coming to have with language, social studies, science and the arts." (Read Any good Math Lately? by Whitin and Wilde). The goal of the project is to expand the impact of the "Reading Rainbow" series by: - integrating quality math-oriented books with science and literary selections into the series, and - making quality children's math-oriented books more visible to parents, public librarians, and teachers and to engage children's interest in reading about and exploring math in the real world. The outreach effort will develop a special math effort directed to parents, children, and teachers. A special publication for parents and a teacher guide will be created for the new math-focused programs. The producers will work with the Family Math Project at the Lawrence Hall of Science in training parents and children and will also direct community outreach efforts towards economically and socially disadvantaged families. This effort will engage these families in math related activities through partnerships with community-based organizations and local public television stations involved in PBS's Ready to Learn Project. Partnership organizations include the National Council for Teachers of Math, Girls Inc, The Connecticut Academy for Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, EQUALS Family Math Project, and the Weekly Reader Corporation. "Reading Rainbow" partnerships also have been established between three SSI's -- Louisiana, Michigan, and Ohio -- and PBS stations in those states.
The Self Reliance Foundation in association with the Hispanic Radio Network over a five year period will produce and distribute a variety of daily Spanish-language radio programs on science education topics and follow-up outreach services to network listeners on science education and career opportunities. The applicants will add two science related episodes each week to Buscando La Belleza, the four-minute daily radio series for families that focuses on social issues, work issues, women's rights, and educational and career opportunities. It is carried on 100 stations with a weekly cumulative audience of 2,567,000 listeners. The new episodes will include: 52 role model interviews with Hispanic men and women who have careers in science, mathematics, and technology from technical positions not requiring a college degree to Ph.D.'s engaged in cutting edge research; 26 family involvement episodes with suggestions for parents to build their confidence in helping their children with homework, doing simple science activities with their children at home, encouraging their older children in their studies, and working with schools and community organizations; and 26 academic and career resource/success stories highlighting Hispanic students who have been successful in their pursuit of careers in science, mathematics, and technology. The second series included under the grant is Salvemos Nuestro Planeta, a two-and-a-half minute series that focuses on environmental issues. It currently is carried on 89 radio stations twice a week with a total weekly cumulative audience of 2,494,300. The producers will expand the series to seven original episodes per week with five episodes focusing on science, mathematics, and technology themes: general science literacy, environmental management and technology, computers and information technology, environmental activities for youth, and SMET career opportunities. Outreach will consist of a national Spanish language toll free phone number that will refer listeners to resources related to opportunities for scholarships in science and engineering, activities and resources for parents and children in science education, etc., and in some cases, connect callers to the subject of that days interview. The PI will be Roberto Salazar who has been chief assistant to Vicente Llamas at the Comprehensive Regional Center for Minorities. He has been involved in numerous science education project for Hispanics and has a background in radio. The Executive Producer will be Jeff Kline. Major science consultants will be Vicente Llamas, Director of the Comprehensive Regional Center for Minorities, and Estrella Triana, Hispanic Science Education Director for the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Roberto SalazarGilbert SanchezRobert Russell
NACME will produce a three year public service advertising campaign designed to shape the educational choices children make in junior high and high school with respect to mathematics and science. The ads, featuring actor/director Spike Lee, will aim to increase the number of children in grades three through eight who understand the relevance and value of mathematics and science to life in the adult world. The campaign also will be directed towards parents with the goal of helping them recognize the importance of learning mathematics and science to their children's future. The components of the project will be: For each of the three years of the project, development and distribution of one 60, one 30, and one 10 second television spot; For each of the three years of the project, development and distribution of three 60, three 30, and three 10 second radio spots; Annual development of print ads and marketing materials to be delivered to selected consumer magazines, educator's publications, in-school magazines, newspaper "kid pages," comic book companies, and bus shelter and transit card carriers; Annual development and distribution of 100,000 full-color student brochures to reinforce the concepts outlined in the campaign; Annual development and distribution of 100,000 brochures for parents to engage them in their children's science and mathematics education; Establishment of a toll-free 800 number for students to call to request information. Each caller will be sent both the student and the parent brochure; Development of promotional materials including buttons, games, science experiments, math puzzles, T-shirts, etc.; Annual public relations campaigns including press conferences, media tours, in-school demonstrations, and personal appearances; Annual evaluation of the project including monthly reports of fulfillment of requests received via the 800 number. Development, production, and distribution of the campaign will be the responsibility of a task force consisting of: Ronni Denes, NACME's vice president for communications and public affairs; George Campbell Jr., President of NACME; Lea E. Williams, executive vice President of NACME and formerly served as vice president, educational services, of the United Negro College Fund; Catherine Morrison, director of research; and Ismael Diaz, director of precollege programs. The ad agency for the NACME/Ad Council campaign is Tracy-Locke. Rob Britton, manager of Advertising and Direct Marketing for American Airlines will serve as campaign director.
The Numbers Alive project will model the use of number sense and provide opportunities for its practice through the production of ten half-hour television programs for students, one program for parents and care-givers, and print materials in support of both types of programs. The targeted student audience is fifth and sixth graders. The print materials supplement the televised programs. The series emphasizes number concepts and problem solving strategies in support of the NCTM Standards.
This project creates and implements a national parent engagement and education campaign. It provides a framework for all parents to explore existing and alternative forms of assessment within the context of changes in current classroom math curriculum and practices. The campaign also provides a mechanism for enhancing communication between teachers, schools and parents in order to ensure support for math strategies and practices by all members of learning communities nationwide. Project products include: * A thirty-minute documentary on mathematics reform and assessment, to be broadcast by public television stations, that will also include a viewer's guide and local publicity materials. * A Community Education Kit containing a Leader's Guide, Parent's Handbook, and short videotapes. Project materials and activities are designed for parents of elementary-age children, with a specific emphasis for materials on grades 3-5.