AGU Education Section News

We're Almost to the Finish Line!

Please help our section with a donation of $50. AGU will give $1000 to our section only if 5% of our members donate $50. Our section uses those funds to support student and early career activities, including travel support. Currently, 3% of our members have made at least a $50 donation. We are SO close to our needed 5% participation level! PLEASE help us, so we can help student and early career members.  Thank you!

Submit your donation to: https://www.agu.org/Give-to-AGU/Sections/Education

Calling All Photographers

We would like to feature your photos of Earth and space science on our section website! Submit your original photos with your name and a caption.  Photos can be of anything that represents Earth and space science or teaching and learning. If people are in your photo, please be sure to obtain their permission before submitting!

Submit your photos to: https://forms.gle/3Je8cZCqgc9y68Sw5

Words of Advice

The 2023-2024 academic year is up and running, and we know there are many educators with a wealth of lived experiences and advice to share! The Education Section invites you to submit your tips for effective teaching and learning, advice for early career instructors, or quotes that inspire your career. We will gather these and create space for them on our section website.

Submit your teaching and learning tips, advice, and inspiration to: https://forms.gle/vQ7P9WNSYVPCYxm68

Ring in the School Year with Earth Science Week

The Education Section’s K-12 working group welcomes you to the new academic year! It’s never too early to plan for the 2023 Earth Science Week (ESW) taking place October 8-14. This year’s theme is “Geoscience Innovating for Earth and People,” which celebrates the different ways environmental problem-solving improves sustainable living for communities around the world. To get started, consider ordering an Earth Science Week Toolkit, and participate in Focus Days and ESW’s various contests.

Visit the American Geosciences Institute ESW webpage for all the information you need to plan an exciting week celebrating the geosciences!

Polar STEAM is recruiting educators for 2024/25 collaborations with polar researchers in creating educational resources about polar regions and science. Applications are open for Arctic and Antarctic deployments as well as virtual collaborations in both regions––apply today! This opportunity is open to community college and minority serving institution faculty, middle and high school educators, and informal educators. The deadline for applications is September 24, 2023.   

Get started by learning more on the Polar STEAM website and watching the recording of our informational webinar. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at polarsteam@oregonstate.edu.  

Image credit: Shaun O'Boyle

Mark Your Calendars! Education Section Events at AGU23

Education Reception and Section Gathering

Join the Education Section for conversation and refreshments on Tuesday, December 12th, at 6:30 PM in Sierra J of the Marriott Marquis.

Connections in Science Education and Communication: Widening the Conversation on Career Success for Student and Early Career Professionals

The Education and Science and Society Sections will jointly host this Student and Early career event on Monday, December 11th, at 6:30 PM in Salon 12 of the Marriott Marquis.

There is NO COST to attend these events, but you must select ticket(s) for planning purposes when registering for AGU23.

Please view the AGU23 schedule at a glance for other information to help with your planning! 

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!

OSPA at AGU23

The Outstanding Student Presentation Awards program is a terrific opportunity to both give and receive constructive feedback on student talks and posters. Two top presentations in Education sessions will receive financial awards! 

This year's judging platform will use the iPoster format, making uploading and judging much easier for everyone. Watch your AGU email carefully, as the OSPA poster submission deadline is likely to be a week earlier than non-juried posters. Students will also be able to participate as judges. Our OSPA team will be recruiting judges and providing instructions––get involved today! 

Gauging Interest in a Future Roundtable Discussion on Meta-Analyses, Data Management and Repositories

Meta-analyses of published studies can provide highly valuable, evidence-based information on patterns and trends in a disciplinary field of research. However, meta-analyses are difficult to conduct in part because they depend on access to study data. There are few to no meta-analyses in Earth and space science education research (i.e., geoscience education research; GER), and no dedicated discipline-specific data repository for this field.  The AGU Education Section is interested in hosting a round table or focus group discussion on needs in GER for data management (including FAIR, CARE, and open data practices) and data repositories.

If you are interested in participating in such a discussion, please complete this Interest Form: https://forms.gle/UG1jVNxKjKvVo1B57. 

This is an initial evaluation of interest in the topic. If there is sufficient interest, we will identify dates and times for discussion(s). Please contact Kristen St. John with questions at stjohnke@jmu.edu.

National Science Foundation Seeks to Honor STEM Educators

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program is pleased to announce that nominations and applications for the historic 40th year of PAEMST are now open to K-6th grade teachers! PAEMST is the nation’s highest honor for teachers of STEM––Presidential Awardees receive:

·      A certificate signed by the President

·      A trip to Washington, D.C., to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities

·      A $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation

·      And the opportunity to join a community of over 5,200 award-winning teachers!

Visit paemst.nsf.gov to learn more about the program, meet previous awardees, and nominate a talented K-6 STEM teacher today! We welcome multiple nominations if you know more than one teacher deserving of this award. The 2023–24 nomination deadline is January 8, 2024, and the application deadline is February 6, 2024.

Questions? Please contact info@paemst.org or call 855-723-6780.

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.

NASA Solicits Proposals for the GLOBE Program Implementation Office (GIO)

The Earth Science Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate is currently soliciting proposals for organizations to host the GLOBE Implementation Office (GIO). The GLOBE Program broadly seeks to create opportunities to improve understanding and stewardship of Earth’s environment, and the Implementation Office aims to support the worldwide GLOBE community by providing logistical support and promoting increased program participation. NASA anticipates awarding one cooperative agreement through this competitive ROSES-2023 program element at approximately $3.9-4.4M per year for five years.

Proposals are due starting in October 2023–visit the NASA NSPIRES page for more information about this funding opportunity, including the DRAFT solicitation, Q&A document, and the June 2, 2023 informational teleconference recording and slides. Please send inquiries to Amy P. Chen at amy.p.chen@nasa.gov.

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 monthly newsletter, please send items before 5:00pm EST on the second Monday of the preceding month. We look forward to hearing from you!