Universities and other research institutions have a unique opportunity to share and promote entomology to the public. As an ambassador of entomology, you can share your intrigue of insects and tell the story of your research to a broad audience. In exploring insects with people in your community, you can address comprehensive concepts in life science, such as: growth, development, and lifecycles; form and function (structure and adaptation); ecological interactions; systems, order and organization (classification); and diversity. Insects can motivate students to take a productive approach to learning, as well as develop scientific skills and behaviors. What sorts of opportunities exist or can be developed in your community to promote multi-age science education?
I have been involved in a variety of outreach endeavors in Tucson, most of which have been through the University of Arizona. In this poster, I will present my experiences in facilitating professional development workshops (in conjunction with the school district and the University), teaching summer and other special classes (through University Extension), working with teachers and doing activities with children in their classrooms (largely through an NSF GK-12 fellowship), conducting presentations for a variety of organizations, and bringing live insects to the public.
Find out some ways to participate in science education in your community, ideas for implementing outreach at your institution, inspiration for activities of your own, and some tips from my experiences. No doubt, you’ll get an idea for some way to share your knowledge of and enthusiasm for entomology with your community.
Keywords: education, outreach
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA