Education Section Newsletter | July 2023 Edition

By Sunday Siomades posted 07-24-2023 10:00

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Education Section Newsletter | July 2023 Edition

Why 5% and $50 Matter – Section President Asks for Your Help

Asking for money is not fun (at least not for this Section President), but it is necessary. I need your help. Here is the situation: AGU has a policy where it will give a section $1000 if 5% of their primary members donate at least $50 to the section during the year. We are a small and relatively new section. We depend on these funds as they make up a substantial part of our overall section budget. We apply these funds to one or more student and/or early career (SEC) activities such as SEC networking events at AGU23, student travel grants, and outstanding student poster awards (OSPA). Last year we did not make the cut. AGU didn’t inform of us of this disappointing news until it was too late to address (until after the 2022 donation period was over), so this year our Section is being proactive. Here is what I am asking of you:

If you are not sure if you are a primary or secondary member, please check. Consider making Education your primary section affiliation.
If you have the financial means, please donate $50 to the Education Section. To make it count towards this year’s threshold of 5% primary member donations it needs to be made by December 2023, but earlier donations give Section leadership more peace of mind!

Thank you for considering my plea to help our Section financially. Please know Section leaders have made their own donations to help us meet this goal. If you are not in a position to donate, but can help the Education Section community in other ways via your skills and interested, please reach out to me or to any of our committee or working group leaders. We would love to connect with you!

- Kristen St John, Education Section President

Abstract Submissions for AGU23 In addition to summer travel and field work, AGU members know that late July is the time of abstract preparation for the annual AGU meeting in December. This year there are 43 AGU23 Education Sessions welcoming your submissions. Browse the possibilities on the AGU23 meeting website and see a thematic grouping of these sessions on our Section website. The deadline for abstract submission is Wednesday, 2 August 2023 23:59 EDT/03:59 +1 GMT. Remember all invited authors are also required to submit abstracts by the deadline.
Creating K-12 Connections Please join the Education Section’s K-12 Working Group for this AGU23 session: ED011: Connecting K-12 Educators and Students with the latest research communicated through data-rich instructional resources that inspire our next generation of Earth and space scientists This session is open to all who interact with a K-12 population: teacher-scientist partnerships, higher-ed researchers, outreach specialists, and informal educators from specific geoscience fields or education are all welcome! Sharing curated and unique educational materials allows for collaboration and inclusion of students across the multitude of Earth and space science topics. Topics for this session may include student centered field work, scientist-teacher partnerships, professional development models, integrating data and data tools into curriculums.
Building Education Capacity: AGU23 Town Hall We are excited to share that the Education Section will be hosting its first Town Hall at AGU23: Building Education Capacity. A major theme that emerged from a recent education commentary was the need to invest in building human connections, sharing resources, and enhancing networking to support collaborative processes that enable us to build education capacity. This town hall aims to create such a space for scientists and educators during the AGU Fall Meeting. We encourage participants to join the discussion on topics such as: Higher education partnerships with industry to support workforce readiness Cross-disciplinary teaching to integrate science policy in science courses and curricula Connecting K-12 educators and early career faculty to resources And more!
Good News: AGU23 Education Section Gathering Reception is Free! We are pleased to share that AGU has decided to support Section Gathering Receptions with a $50 subsidy per attendee and general registration revenue. Attendees will still have to select tickets for their Section's reception when they register for AGU23, but they will not be charged a fee for this event. We believe this support will drive additional participation and create a better experience for attendees. Important: Education attendees will still have to register (check the box) for the Education Reception to allow for proper planning of this event. Join us at AGU23!
Geoscience Education Research (GER) Graduate Students Wanted The Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia seeks students interested in graduate study in geoscience education research. Both PhD and MSc positions are available and will be funded by teaching, research, and/or academic assistantships. The Geoscience Education Research lab group at UBC values creating an inclusive learning environment and applications from all qualified individuals are encouraged and welcomed. Applications are due January 15, 2024 and applications will be considered until positions are filled. For more information or to discuss project opportunities, please contact Dr. Laura Lukes at laura.lukes@ubc.ca (please include a brief description of your research interests, a resume/CV, and a writing sample).
Highlighted Funding Opportunities NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Sites and Supplements. The REU program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the National Science Foundation. REU projects involve students in ongoing research programs or in research projects specifically designed for the REU program. Proposals are due September 29, 2023. NSF Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12). The goal of the Discovery Research PreK-12 program (DRK-12) is to catalyze research and development that enhances all preK-12 teachers’ and students’ opportunities to engage in high-quality learning experiences related to the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Proposals are due November 8, 2023.
Ethical Framework for Climate Intervention Research AGU welcomes public comment on the preliminary draft of the Ethical Framework for Climate Intervention Research, Experimentation and Deployment—a code of conduct to guide climate intervention measures, such as carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation modification, that may be needed in addition to emissions reduction. These principles are designed to help guide researchers, organizations and governments engaged in climate intervention research or policy. Review and share your comments by Tuesday, 15 August.
Section Social Media Coordinator We would like to be visible on social media. Can you help? We are seeking a Social Media Coordinator for our section. The time commitment is approximately 2 hours per month. If you have this skill and can help our Section, we would love to hear from you! Contact Kristen St John: stjohnke@jmu.edu.
We’ve Got Mail! The Education Section newsletter is now accepting member-suggested submissions! Contact us at edsectionnewsletter@gmail.com with timely events, articles, or programs relating to education in the Earth and space sciences. To be considered for inclusion in the newsletter of the month, please send items before 12:00pm EST on the second Tuesday. We look forward to hearing from you!