Teachers Learn to Use the Environment for Science Education
For 30 central Indiana teachers the world is a classroom as they and five Indy Parks naturalists participate this week in a unique environmental education program designed to equip students with the science and mathematics skills upon which the future of Indiana's workforce depends.
Discovering the Science of the Environment (DSE) incorporates water quality studies, woodland investigation, wetland exploration and prairie research to provide hands-on, environmental field experiences to students in grades 4-9. Students use research-grade equipment and technology to test water quality and to measure greenhouse gas fluxes, for example.
DSE's professional development program for teachers provides environmental training, equipment loans, distance education and curriculum materials that are tied to Indiana state standards in science and math. Teachers will be able to use parks and school ground natural areas for ongoing science learning.
The principal goal of the program is to engage students in environmental experimentation and to develop science problem-solving skills. Additionally, faculty who created the program from the IUPUI Center for Earth and Environmental Science (CEES) and the Pervasive Technology Labs at Indiana University believe that DSE will change the way students view the environment.
"By introducing students to scientific experiences in environmental habitats that are unique to their neighborhoods, we hope DSE will inspire awareness about the environment and prepare 8-14 year-olds for careers in science, engineering and technology," says Lenore P. Tedesco, CEES director and associate professor of earth sciences.
Science outreach to the next generation is key to developing a workforce that will keep Indiana competitive in a life sciences economy. Many of central Indiana's leading corporations and foundations agree as they contributed funding for DSE. Among them are the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Dow AgroSciences, Eli Lilly and Company, the Duke Energy Foundation and Veolia Water Indianapolis, LLC, whose lead gift totals $200,000.
Tim Hewitt, Veolia president and operations manager, explains, "We have such a strong partnership with CEES in our research and watershed management, that it's a natural extension for Veolia to support such a hands-on, technology-driven educational program that connects students to the environment."
"Ultimately, we are not only equipping students with the skills they need to be successful in their careers, we are nurturing the next generation of environmental stewards in our community."
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