THE 15TH AMS EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM

In final form 28 September 2006 ©2007 American Meteorological Society he 15th Education Symposium, held as part of the 86th American Meteorological Society (AMS) Annual Meeting, addressed the scope of education and outreach efforts within atmospheric and related sciences. The symposium was animated by the participants’ deep commitment to the goal of broadening the impact of science and contributing to the development of a literate scientific population. The goals of the symposium were to share the innovations and lessons learned, and to energize the participants to continue as change agents in atmospheric education. These goals were realized though formal presentations and posters, and, equally important, informal conversations. This year, the program focused on innovations in K–16 education, the growing opportunities in the arena of space weather, and the role of data in the classroom. The program consisted of 58 posters and 39 oral presentations. Posters were emphasized because the symposium organizers wanted to focus on a venue that encouraged greater interaction between the presenters and their audience. Three themes emerged from the symposium. The first theme was the notion that K–12 education, particularly in the atmospheric and related sciences, is a shared responsibility—that universities, government agencies, and even publishers can and should play an active role in supporting K–12 education, both nationally and internationally. A second crosscutting theme emphasized the need for students and citizens to experience science not only as observers, but also as participants. For example, two programs—Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS)—involve either students or citizens in collecting atmospheric data. A third, and related, crosscutting theme was centered around the development and use of tools, especially visualization tools, that can involve students in scientific exploration of atmospheric data. As one presenter noted, real learning occurs not from a textbook, but from real investigations driven by data. THE 15TH AMS EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM