Situated within the framework of their NSF funded sociolinguistic research, partnering institutions, Gallaudet University and the University of California-Davis, will develop and broadly disseminate a 2-hour DVD that builds knowledge and fosters community awareness, among informal and formal audiences, about the scientific structure and history of American Sign Language (ASL), with an emphasis on Black American Sign Language. Through this Communicating Research to Public Audiences (CRPA) grant, the DVD and its existing companion guidebook will: (a) link ASL to current empirical research; (b) describe the complexities of the science of language development (written and spoken); (c) detail the evolution of Black American Sign Language; (d) provide strong evidence that sociolinguistic variations and dialects are not unique to spoken languages; and (e) foster related discussions in formal and informal settings. The project will involve ASL interpreters and hearing, hearing impaired and deaf local community members, students, and teachers; ranging in age (adolescents to seniors), geographic location within the United States, and socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. Informal settings such as local community, resource and cultural centers will participate in project dissemination efforts and activities. Formal settings such as postsecondary linguistics courses, deaf studies courses, interpreter training courses, and professional workshops will also serve as secondary venues for project dissemination activities. The research design, videotaped data clips and findings from the seminal sociolinguistic research involving data from 22 study groups at six different sites will be encapsulated and made accessible via the primary deliverable, a 2 hour DVD. Designed for various audiences, the DVD will present the socio-historical significance of the research, data collection and methods employed, and data clips of participants narrating their life experiences. Phonological variables, syntactic & discourse variables, contact phenomena, and lexical variations will also be discussed and illustrated in the DVD. Targeted public and professional audiences will be recruited to receive the DVD, the companion guide book, and other project resources. Project deliverables include a 2 hour DVD, training materials, workshops, and web site enhancements. Through active dissemination efforts, the project intends to reach approximately 29,000 people. The project should: (a) increase knowledge and awareness about the scientific structure and history of ASL, and (b) provide greater access to content- including STEM content-through a broader understanding of geographical and social factors that influence non-spoken language variations, particularly Black ASL. A mixed methods evaluation study will be employed to monitor all aspects of the DVD and training materials development, refinement, and implementation. Focus groups will be conducted and questionnaires will be distributed to collect data and determine the extent to which the project has effectively met its primary goal to share and disseminate its research findings more broadly to public audiences, with a special emphasis on informal audiences and organizations. The project will address a need in the field for research about the scientific structure, history, and socio-cultural factors influencing variations in non-spoken languages, particularly in Black ASL. Broad dissemination of this research could raise public awareness about ASL variations thereby, providing interpreters and a sizable portion of the deaf and hearing communities with valuable insights on ASL that could improve content accessibility among deaf and hearing impaired individuals. The project also highlights an important, overlooked component of American history. In addition, this project would further the ISE program's efforts to diversify its portfolio with respect to content (science of language; linguistics) and target populations (deaf, African-American). The original NSF funded scientific research project and the proposed dissemination efforts, also support ISE's commitment to fund projects with an aim to communicate NSF funded research to informal audiences and within informal settings. With an anticipated reach of 29,000 people, the project?s website, local community events, and linkages with ISE organizations such as The Department of African American Studies Afro-American Studies Resource Center at Howard University in Washington, DC; The Stiles African American Heritage Center in Denver; and The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, NY and professional organizations such as the Gallaudet University Press and the National Association of Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA); will provide multiple opportunities for public engagement in the research and cross-disciplinary, cultural discussions about this work within the context of informal and formal education.
This multimedia project tells the human story of the long, continuing quest to identify, understand, and organize the basic building blocks of matter leading to the Periodic Table of Elements. Project deliverables include a two hour PBS documentary; a website on the Periodic Table and discovery of the elements; a Teacher\'s Guide; and an Outreach Plan led by the St. Louis Science Center and nine other science centers. The target audiences are adults with an interest in science, inner-city youth, and high school chemistry teachers and their students. Partners include Moreno/Lyons Productions, the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Chemical Heritage Foundation; the St. Louis Science Center; and Oregon Public Broadcasting. The national broadcast and outreach activities are intended to complement the International Year of Chemistry (IYC) 2011, furthering the opportunity to enhance the public understanding of chemistry. The goal of the project is to reveal science as an intensely human process of discovery through stories of some of the greatest scientists. The two-hour PBS special will tell a "detective story" of chemistry, stretching from the ancient alchemists to today's efforts to find stable new forms of matter. Among key characters will be Joseph Priestley, Antoine Lavoisier, Humphry Davy, Dmitrii Mendeleev, Marie Curie, Harry Moseley, and Glenn Seaborg. The program will show both their discoveries and the creative process, using reenactments shot with working replicas of their original lab equipment. Interwoven with history will be segments on modern chemical research and the real-world consequences of the discoveries. A two-part Outreach Plan is aimed at engaging inner-city youths through a network of ten science centers led by the St. Louis Science Center and at reaching a broader audience through events, activities, and publications offered by ACS during National Chemistry Week and IYC 2011. The television program is projected to reach three million viewers during its multiple broadcasts over premiere week, increasing to five million or more with subsequent repeat broadcasts and DVD distribution. It is estimated that 6,500 underrepresented urban teens will participate in the hands-on activities in the ten science centers during IYC 2011. The website is intended to become a resource extending the reach and impact of the project for a decade or more. The summative evaluation will assess the extent to which the project accomplishes the goals of enhancing public understanding of chemistry, affecting public attitudes toward chemistry and chemists, and improving the understanding of the nature of science. Three studies will be conducted. The first will be an in-depth evaluation of the program and Web site with a sample of 150 adult PBS viewers using a two-group post-test randomized study design. The second study will evaluate the outreach effort with diverse audiences at the local level prior to and during National Chemistry Week using on site observations, surveys, and interviews to capture participant feedback at local events. The third study will evaluate high school educators' use of the Teacher's Edition & Guide.
The purpose of this integrated cross media project is to build public knowledge and curiosity about energy science and policy, to encourage audience confidence in its abilities to understand energy related science, and to stimulate exchange between community-based experts. The deliverables include five hour-long radio programs focusing on the interconnected nature of waterways, climate systems, and energy sources; a digital journalism and social network site focusing on energy topics; partner-driven outreach with universities and local public radio stations; and a training workshop for ethnic media partners. The project targets public radio listeners, ethnic media readers, local urban and rural communities, and Internet users. Partner organizations include New American Media, a consortium of ethnic media producers, the University of Texas at Austin (which will provide content expertise as well as outreach assistance), local public radio stations, and scientific organizations. Intended impacts on the general audience include building their knowledge and interest in energy science and policy, and influencing their confidence in understanding energy science, technology and engineering, as well as empowering them to voice their opinions in energy policy discussions and to make changes in their lives that will support a sustainable energy future. It is estimated that five million people will access the radio programs and web content over the sustained life of the project. Professional audience impacts include building science journalism capacity and reciprocal relationships between general and ethnic news media, as well as stimulating exchange between subject experts (e.g., water engineers and geoscientists) and community experts (e.g., community organizers and backyard gardeners) who can inform energy reporting and open new areas of discussion in the energy debate. The evaluation plan uses both quantitative and qualitative data collection and quasi-experimental designs to examine the impact of this project on both public and professional audiences.
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Barinetta Scott
resourceprojectProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
"Saving Species" will engage large and diverse public audiences in inquiry-based learning and environmental stewardship through a system of exhibits at zoos and other informal science education institutions throughout the U.S. The exhibit system will include more than 70 touch screen interactives and related technological infrastructure being created by Project Dragonfly at Miami University (Ohio). Project partners include the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Brookfield Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, Denver Zoo, Liberty Science Center, Louisville Zoological Garden, New York State Zoo, Oregon Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo, Riverbanks Zoo, Santa Barbara Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Toledo Zoo, The Wilds, Woodland Park Zoo, and Zoo Atlanta. Touch screen exhibit components will be designed for specific programs at partner zoos. The partner institutions in this consortium are establishing exhibits nationwide linked to one of three Saving Species campaigns: 1) the Great Ape Campaign allows families to conduct research on captive ape populations and to help save wild apes by joining the work of experienced field researchers; 2) the Wild Cat Campaign focuses on endangered cat species and allows families to join in conservation efforts along with professionals; 3) the Sustaining Life Campaign builds on widespread interest and growing exhibitry in environmental stewardship, renewable energy, and climate change. The consortium includes a shared library of public inquiry and public-action tools (e.g., cell phone recycling), as well as remote monitoring capabilities that provide real-time measures of station success, facilitating the development of variations of exhibit interactives across the country. More than 500 staff from informal science institutions are participating in "Saving Species" professional development through workshops and graduate courses in major cities and conservation sites worldwide. The formal educational opportunities include two new Master\'s degree programs co-delivered by Miami University and informal science institutions: (1) the Advanced Inquiry Program, and (2) the Global Field Program. Strategic partners include the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, public television, Conservation International, and the Society of Conservation Biology. Project evaluation by the Institute for Learning Innovation includes specific assessment protocols that are identifying patterns of engagement by gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic class so that disparities can be addressed across these demographics. A planning study and front-end evaluation will inform the future development of personalized, post-visit engagement opportunities on social networking platforms. "Saving Species" will achieve broad impact nationally, reaching millions of visitors to the participating institutions annually during the funding period and beyond, fostering the relationship between science inquiry and public action, and building multi-institutional partnerships committed to sustaining life on our planet.
The American Museum of Natural History, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the National Audubon Society are partnering to organize a workshop for scientists, educators, and community members involved in conservation-oriented Public Participation in Scientific Research (PPSR) projects. PPSR projects have the potential to advance scientific discovery by engaging volunteers in large-scale data collection and analysis, enabling volunteers to conduct scientific inquiry, and promoting stakeholder involvement in policymaking. Despite PPSR's potential, educators need to understand what mechanisms best nurture the development of skills, attitudes, and behaviors of citizen scientist volunteers. Workshop participants will share experiences, lessons learned, protocols and tools, and develop an agenda for answering still unanswered questions about advancing informal science education goals via PPSR activities. Topics for workshop sessions include models of PPSR projects; PPSR data for conservation biology; conservation psychology; integrating PPSR into conservation planning; and emerging technologies for public participation in PPSR projects. The goals of the project are to (1) enhance the practice of biodiversity science, (2) increase the potential for biodiversity conservation projects to meet educational goals, (3) allow scientists to further engage in and contribute to answering large-scale research questions, and (4) prepare the groundwork for establishing more public participation projects as part of museum public programs. The project's objectives are to identify conditions under which PPSR projects can be most useful for biodiversity conservation, explore the impact of PPSR in encouraging volunteers to become interested in and stewards of nature, identify strategies and mechanisms for expanding the reach of PPSR to new audiences, and create a network for PPSR organizers.
This project will be conducted by a team of investigators from North Carolina State University. The principal investigator proposes to examine the characteristics, motivations, in and out-of-school experiences, informal science activities, and career trajectories of 1000 science hobbyists and "master hobbyists." Master hobbyists are individuals who have developed science expertise and spend considerable free time engaging in science as a leisure activity. Master science hobbyists are found across most areas of science (e.g. birdwatchers, amateur astronomers). This research will determine who these individuals are, their career pathways, how they engage in science activities and what motivates, sustains, and defines their science interests. One of the particular goals of this research is to develop new understandings of how science hobby interests develop for women and underserved minorities. In the proposed research investigators will use the results of interviews and surveys to identify contextual factors that influence the motivational processes that, in turn, influenced choices of careers and contribute to ongoing choices in hobby and citizen science activities. Of interest in this study is how citizen scientists who are also serious hobbyists differ from master science hobbyists. Research on citizen scientists has shown that this group is highly motivated by collective motives (such as a desire to help others and further science), whereas this may not be the case with the master science hobbyist. Two groups will be sampled: a) birdwatchers and b) amateur astronomers. This sampling model will allow investigators to contrast their findings by: 1) those who have selected a science career versus those that did not select a science career, 2) those who participate in citizen science activities and those that do not, and 3) those who are birdwatchers (greater mathematical components) and those who are amateur astronomers (lesser mathematical components). Additional coding and analyses will examine any differences in the evolution of bird watching and astronomy hobbies. The results of this research will be examined in light of existing motivational and sociocultural models of career selection. This research will document differences in the perceived motivational elements that influenced master science hobbyists/citizen scientists to choose a science career or not. The results can inform federal, state, and local policies for supporting youth and adults engaged in free choice learning. Results of this research will inform the design of intervention/recruitment programs and ISE outreach initiatives. Potential audiences include ISE institutions (e.g. museums and science centers), organizations with links to STEM (e.g. scouts, boys/girls clubs) and pre- and college initiatives that seek to influence career choices and life-long science interests. The proposed cross-disciplinary approach will promote new understandings of complex issues related to motivation, retention, career selection, leisure activities, engagement with formal and informal educational environments, gender and ethnicity, communities of practice and changes in interests over time. Members of the advisory board have expertise in assessment and measurement and will work closely with the project team to conduct a detailed examination of methodologies and analyses at all phases of the project.
This project will reinterpret a significant property owned by Historic Hudson Valley (HHV). Using as a focusing device the experiences of four women who shaped this country estate during its 200-year history, the new interpretation will illustrate important turning points in American attitudes toward nature and landscape. As it forges a more integrated, effective way for house museums to interpret the built and natural environments, HHV will strive to help visitors understand how American points of view about landscape and nature have changed over time and why those shifts matter. Project formats include an interpretive tour of the nearly 400-acre site; web-based programs and blog; and publications. The story of Montgomery Place reflects many of the ideas and values that have shaped America’s land and people. The project addresses how cultural attitudes toward the natural world determine human actions, and how these actions in turn affect people’s environments.
Today's Brooklyn Navy Yard is a rarity: a 19th-century citadel of the Industrial Revolution reincarnated as a model of clean industrial re-use in the 21st century. A historic national icon, the Yard has long been a mystery to its neighbors. Now, for the first time since 1801, BNYDC is inviting the public in and offering a unique and remarkable venue where the Yard can tell its many stories, most for the first time. On September 7, 2011 (Labor Day), BNYDC will open the Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at Building 92, a visitor center and home of a new exhibition, The Brooklyn Navy Yard: Past, Present, and Future.
The Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, New York will develop Mining in the Adirondacks, a multi-faceted project that will include a 29,000 square foot permanent exhibit, an interactive web site module, curriculum development, and public programming. The exhibition will feature approximately 300 objects from the Adirondack Museum collection, including a tuyere plate, miners’ safety gear, picks and drills, historic photographs, an ore cart, maps, iron pigs, garnet jewelry, household items and audio recordings. A mining tunnel, open pit and mine village landscape will be incorporated to provide an immersive experience for visitors. The Mining in the Adirondacks project seeks to interpret the history of mining in the Adirondack wilderness grounded in current scholarship, best museum practice, visitor studies research, and understanding of varied learning styles. Four humanities scholars will work with museum staff.
The Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) requests funding to complete initial plans for Innovation Place (working title), a major new 10,000 sq. ft. exhibition in RMSC’s third floor galleries that promotes understanding of Rochester’s technological history and its culture of invention and innovation. Collections objects, immersive environments, multimedia presentations, and interactives will be used to tell stories of invention and innovation from Rochester’s beginnings as the nation’s first boomtown after the opening of the Erie Canal to its current rank among the top knowledge-based economies in the world. By combining the sciences and the humanities into a single exhibition, this project will critically frame and interpret new questions about Rochester as a laboratory of significant technologies – on the local, national, and global levels – and the changes in regional culture and economics that both inspire, and result from, their invention.
In May 2012, the Penn Museum will present the traveling exhibition, Lords of Time, the Maya and 2012 – an innovative exploration of the ancient and modern Maya and their conceptions of time. The exhibition will include over 75 archaeological artifacts and groups, stone sculpture, historical materials, modern reproductions, digital media components, and interactive displays to actively engage visitors in the discovery of an ancient culture, as well as its legacy to the modern world. Themes of the exhibition will span the fields of astronomy, history, archaeology, anthropology, and comparative culture studies. The exhibition is a formal collaboration between the Penn Museum, the Honduran government’s Instituto Hondureño de Antropología e Historia (IHAH), and Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (Peabody). After its debut at the Penn Museum, the core of the exhibition will travel to other US venues through 2014.
Guastavino Vaulting: Palaces for the People will be a multi-formatted project to examine the history and creative contributions of Rafael Guastavino and his family, a Spanish immigrant family of the late 19th century whose adaptations of a traditional Mediterranean construction technique transformed the urban landscape of the United States. The formats will be a web site and a major gallery exhibition that will travel to the Boston Public Library, the National Building Museum, and the Museum of the City of New York.