"Education and Public Outreach: No Need to Reinvent the Wheel"
Pre-LPSC Workshop for Scientists
Sunday, March 11, 2001, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Venue: Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, Texas
Group Lunch Planned at Tommy's Patio Cafe! 
Click here for more information and a reservation form (reservations must be received by March 5)
Goals:
- To inform scientists about the diverse variety of programs and partnering opportunities available to them in educational activities with students, educators, and the public.
- To encourage scientists to become involved in education and/or public outreach activities, and provide new opportunities for those already involved.
Purposes:
- provide information
- showcase existing opportunities
- validate E/PO efforts
- provide a platform for networking and building partnerships with other scientists
The workshop will open with a plenary lecture by David C. Black on the value and necessity of scientists' involvement in education and public outreach (E/PO), and how we can best take advantage of the public interest in planetary science to engage and educate. This will be followed by presentation of an E/PO "menu" of choices, opportunities, and venues for increased participation.
This broad-spectrum overview will lead into more in-depth presentations, in split sessions, by people already participating in E/PO in various ways. Presenters from each venue will tell what they do, what is unique about their venue, and how scientists can become involved in and contribute to this particular type of activity. Opportunities will be provided following each presentation for questions and discussion. Specific presentations will include such topics as:
| E/PO in schools | E/PO in libraries | E/PO in museums |
| Effective teacher training | Mentoring opportunities | E/PO on the Internet |
| Writing E/PO proposals, where to get help | Curriculum development, understanding standards | Working with professional
societies |
A more detailed agenda (including speaker information) is now available.
The workshop will conclude with a summary discussion to address questions such as: How will we know if our E/PO efforts are having a positive effect? How do we measure success, and what should we measure? What areas are challenging, and how can we improve our effectiveness?
For more information, please contact Kathleen Johnson (phone: 281-244-2014; e-mail: johnson@lpi.usra.edu) or Pamela Thompson
(phone: 281-486-2175; e-mail: thompson@lpi.usra.edu). In lieu of electronic preregistration, the preregistration form may be printed and faxed to 281-244-2006. Registration after March 5, 2001, is on site at
7:30 a.m., and is on a first-come, first-served basis.