GreenSTEM and Next Generation Science Standards Make Major Progress

June 26th, 2013

This summer will see the start of major progress in greenSTEM education (i.e., education in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as well as environmental and sustainability science) reform both nationally and in Washington State. The final version of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) was released in April (http://nextgenscience.org).   Along with the major informal science organizations in Puget Sound (e.g., Burke Museum of History and Culture, Islandwood, Museum of Flight, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Aquarium, Woodland Park Zoo, Pacific Education Institute, Environmental Science Center, and NatureBridge), the Whidbey GeoDome is supporting the adoption and implementation of the NGSS in Washington State.  We are currently developing short fulldome presentations to act as learning starters for the twelve core and component elements of the Earth and Space Science domain of the NGSS.  We will pair them with complementary exDome learning activities drawn from the CLEAN Collection of reviewed geoscience education resources (http://cleanet.org and now syndicated at http://www.climate.gov/teaching) and  with arts-based facilitation (see http://www.powerofhope.org for our approach).  In the late fall we return to offering K-12 school programs, now based on these new NGSSs.