Draft NOAA Education Plan Available for Review 

   The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is revising its
Education Strategic Plan.  NOAA recently received broad legi

“The Coalition for Earth System Education functions on the assumption that voices can be heard more effectively when speaking in unison than when speaking independently…”

CESE Meeting 2008

Public Literacy in Earth System Science

11 – 13 September, 2008 

Paleontological Research Institution and Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=626418

In the past several years literacy principles have been developed for the ocean sciences, climate, atmospheric sciences, and terrestrial/hydrospheric Earth sciences.  Together these principles represent the Earth systems, and were created through consensus among communities of research scientists, applied geologists, educators, policy specialists, and others. The principles, reflecting what all citizens should understand about Earth systems, are relevant to both formal and informal education, and reflect a unified voice from the scientific community to the general public and policy makers. Reaching adult audiences in news and popular media, museums, and elsewhere takes on new significance as energy, climate, and Earth hazards become central to economic and political decision making, while new technologies bring new opportunities (social media, Google Earth, Second Life, online courses) for reaching large segments of younger generations.

Our goal for

NOAA/NSF:  "Climate Literacy: Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts" 

    Environmental literacy is integral to NOAAs mission: All of NOAAs long-term goals ultimately depend on the public’s capacity to understand and react to Earth system science and ecosystem conditions. A better-informed public will provide improved environmental stewardship and will acquire, use, and respond to NOAAs information services and forecasts in more effective ways. Given the central role of environmental literacy to NOAAs long-term effectiveness, NOAA places a high priority on formal and informal education efforts leveraging NOAAs distinctive scientific, technical, and operational expertise. Key requirements include: Ensuring coordination between developers of educational products and those partners responsible for establishing educational standards; Overcoming barriers to influencing formal educational curricula that exist because of education standards that do not adequately reflect Earth system science; and deploying strategic approaches to environmental literacy, as articulated in the NOAA Education Plan and Policy, which recognize the multi-generational, long-term nature of change in public attitudes and actions.

   The Paleontological Research Institution, in conjunction with the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) is offering a new and innovative course in ESS education professional develop

This is the Earth System Science Informal Education Network (ESSIEN) website, a place for Earth Systems Science (ESS) Informal Education professionals to share information and resources.

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