A community’s Journey through the
Universe program is meant to reflect the strategic needs,
capabilities, and ‘personality’ of that community. Programming
in each community is therefore unique. Some examples:
Washington, DC
The educational lessons were adopted as Earth and space science
strands of the 6th grade curriculum in the District of Columbia
Public Schools (DCPS). Programming targets 6th grade
educators and 6th grade students and their families.
A Compendium of lessons was developed for DCPS that specifically
targeted the DCPS 6th grade Standards of Teaching and Learning,
which were based on the NRC National Science Standards and
Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy.
Washington, DC, Mayor Anthony Williams declared
Journey through the Universe Week in the District of
Columbia each year for four years.
Marquette, Michigan, Dickinson-Iron-Menominee,
Michigan, and Moscow, Idaho
Programming extended over a large geographic footprint (over
a 50 mile radius) allowing Journey through the Universe
to serve as an educational bridge between many rural communities,
each overseen by its own school district.
The Big Island of Hawai’i
22 astronomers working at the observatories located atop Mauna
Kea were trained to present to audiences of all ages as a
means of sustaining the program for years to come. Governor
Linda Lingle declared Journey through the Universe Week
across the state of Hawai’i in each of the last three years.
Muncie, Indiana
The Local Team included Ball State University. The University
placed strong emphasis on training pre-service educators,
particularly those enrolled in elementary science methods
classes.
Nogales, Arizona
The Santa Cruz Excellence in Education Foundation (SCEEF),
a non-profit organization, was established to provide long-term
sustainability for local Journey through the Universe
efforts. Family/public science events in Nogales drew more
than 2,000 attendees.
San Diego, California
The initiative was the largest to date. A team of six
Visiting Researchers and one Visiting Educator conducted over
125 programs for 12,000 students.
Martinsville, Virginia
Conducted a mini-Journey Week in Year 1
to grow community interest first in a small school district.
The excitement generated prompted surrounding counties to
request expansion to their districts starting in Year 3.
Labette County, Kansas, and Kansas City,
Missouri/Kansas
Family/public science events in each location exceeded 1,000
attendees. |
