Science Education Outreach Programs
All of the K-12 outreach programs of the RI Space Grant Program have been designed to accomplish three basic philosophies:
- To maximize role models and mentors in the classroom through The Teacher Partnership Program which brings scientists into the classroom;
- To use current "hot topics" as a way of generating interest in science;
- To use special focus projects to reach specific groups of students, pre-college teachers or the general public.
We provide RI teachers a direct connection to NASA through college students (undergraduate and graduate), research associates, and faculty who are engaged in NASA-related research.
The Teacher Partnership Program
The Teacher Partnership Program, a program of the Rhode Island Space Grant, sends undergraduate and graduate science students (from all science, math and engineering disciplines) into Rhode Island K-12 classrooms to conduct presentations and hands-on activities related to either space science or to the university students' own science discipline and research interests. Call our office at (401) 863-2889 for more information or to schedule a visit.
Click here for a list of current available topics.
The program has grown steadily each year since its inception in 1991. In general, 3 graduate Fellows and 3 to 6 undergraduate Scholars are competitively selected and funded each year by RI Space Grant as part of the NASA National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program.
From Brown, Fellows and Scholars have been selected from Anthroplogy, Astrophysics, Biology, Computer Science, Engineering, Geology, Neuroscience, Physics, and Psychology. R.I. Space Grant also has supported a Scholar from the Biology Department at Rhode Island College and a Fellow from the University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography.
Fellows and Scholars are expected to devote 75% of their time to their own research and studies and to spend 25% of their time on various science outreach programs. This means that the university students are funded to pursue their own education and research goals, but they also act as "role models" to Rhode Island K-12 students who may never have seen a "real" scientist prior to one of these visits.
The Teacher Partnership program is "teacher-driven", that is, presentations are directly requested by K-12 teachers and are tailor-made for specific classes, grade levels, and schools through coordination with the teacher. During each of the past two years, our Fellows and Scholars have given over 200 classroom presentations (reaching approximately 6000 children each year) on a variety of science topics to K-12 grades in schools in every community throughout Rhode Island.
Economically disadvantaged urban public schools frequently have limited science resources. We have set up more formal "partnership" programs with several such elementary, middle and high schools in Providence. Our fellows and scholars have visited and worked with every grade level and every class in these "partnership" schools showing the children what is possible.
One teacher noted..."the Space Grant visitor was so enthusiastic, she captivated the children... this gave the students a positive attitude toward both the material presented and those involved in science!"
The Teacher Partnership Program is particularly effective when the visitor is a role model for underrepresented minority students. An urban elementary school with a high population of Spanish-speaking children has become the focus for our Hispanic undergraduate scholars. We have created a program for bilingual classrooms titled Science En Español.