The Conference Center in Washington, D.C was the site of the NSF Workshop. Robert Payo, NSDL Outreach Specialist speaking with an attendee.

A friendly-looking person, often laden with SWAG (stuff everyone gets at conferences) approaches the NSDL exhibit booth. Opening pleasantries commence—“Where are you from? What do you do?”— before demonstrations and conversation about the wonders of the National Science Digital Library begin—and the wonders are real! Go to any of the featured sites on the NSDL “Example Projects Fliers” available in the Outreach section of NSDL.org, and surprise yourself. My personal favorite is the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library of sound and video. The haunting sound of a Weddell Seal under the ice calling across a crowded exhibit hall brings in customers (especially children) in droves to find out where it’s coming from. And anyone who has stood at well-traveled NSDL exhibit booth (approximately 12 states in 12 months, often for multiple events) knows that the most frequently heard comment goes something like, “This is great! Why don’t more teachers and students know about it?”

The NSDL’s collaborative tool showcase shines, from Science Literacy Maps to a community-created blogosphere. One researcher commented that being able to use NSDL’s tools allows her to hone in on her education research objectives rather than having to reinvent the wheel by developing her own tools. NSDL/NSTA monthly web seminar “fans” were on hand to offer kudos and thanks to coordinator Robert Payo.

A view of the exhibt booth. Workshop attendees at a plenary session.

NSDL Core Integration sends the NSDL exhibit booth out to many conferences and events with staff and community representatives on a fast-paced and sometimes back-to-back schedule. Attendees from California to New England are excited about what NSDL has to offer educators. The “skinney” is often passed from teacher to teacher as they discover new and interesting NSDL resources and activities. If you demonstrate NSDL for one teacher or for small groups of teachers at conference chances are that they will share the good news with colleagues—which explains why extra copies of brochures and fact sheets fly out of the booth to be redistributed when attendees return home.

The NSF Workshop and Exhibition entitled Science Education and Workforce Development for US Governors held January 15-16, 2008 focused on “Key Challenges for Innovation in the States.” The Workshop was convened by Dr. Cora Marrett, Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources (EHR) National Science Foundation (NSF).

Dr. Jan Kettlewell, Rosalind Barnes, and Sheila Jones from the University System of Georgia presented Tools for Building Community Engagement and Support for High Quality Science Education and the Workforce. The NSF-funded University System of Georgia Math and Science Partnership (MSP) shared information about their successful public relations campaing and other tools as well as other aspects of their overall strategy. Their review of a recent report from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Public Agenda, entitled “Important, but Not for Me: Parents and Students in Kansas and Missouri Talk about Math, Science, and Technology Education,”suggests that parents and students acknowledge the national importance of mathematics, science, and technology but fail to see the importance for themselves, a phenomenon labeled by Public Agenda as an ‘urgency gap.’

Their public relations campaign aimed at engaging parents is tied to market research results that gauged attitudes about math and science. They have detected a significant child/parent attitude mismatch with regard to what each of them thinks about “who” the other pays attention to. Children are most influenced by their parents’ attitudes and advice, while parents feel that their children are most likely to listen to teachers and school administrators. Anyone with a teenage child who appears not to be listening can understand that this is a significant finding—who knew they were paying attention?

The sew-on patch-like campaign logo simply states “math + science = success.” This message has been developed into multiple types of media and printed materials—posters, billboards, PSAs, a parent guide, and other materials that are freely distributed through Georgia schools and over the Internet. By leveraging parent communications with their children they hope to gain a popular culture mindshare so that students see tackling math and science like they might see tackling an interest in music or skateboarding.

At other exhibit booths and in conference sessions “getting the word out,” and engaging communities to affect culture change in math and science education was a recurring theme.