STEM Outreach in West Virginia – SPOT

How do we steer the telescopes? Why isn’t Pluto a planet? How do we name planets? Have you ever been to space? These are just a handful of the questions I’ve received after giving almost 10 Space Public Outreach Team (SPOT) presentations on the history, achievements and future of space telescopes.

The reason I want to share the SPOT program with you is because it’s one of the many great STEM outreach programs active in West Virginia. While a SPOT presentation is only a 30-minute presentation on space, for me, it’s so much more.

My story is a bit different that most science communicators and even other SPOT presenters! I’m not a physics, astronomy or engineering major. In fact, my formal science education begins and ends with Geology 101taken my sophomore year of college, but towards the end of my undergraduate career, I fell in love with space and science. More importantly, I discovered how important space and science really are.

SPOT ambassadors attend a training weekend at the Green Bank Space Telescope every year to learn public speaking, hands on activities and answering difficult questions. Photo via WestVirginiaSPOT

So far, I’ve been able to speak to students as young as kindergarten (a challenge in itself) all the way up to age 18. I have to say, though, my favorite age group is without doubt 4-6 graders. This group has a basic knowledge of science and technology, but more importantly, a healthy level of curiosity and awe. I find myself breezing through the 30-minute presentations like a true conversation and not a lecture. Questions at the end will last until a teacher finally stands between the class and me.   These students exhibit a total, unrestrained desire to put forth all the effort and time space exploration needs.

SPOT is much more than just sharing what I know with students for one hour, though. My goal is to always drive home the idea that everyone has a hand in science, technology, engineering and math. I love sharing my story that even though I’m not a scientist or astronomer, the science and technology that emerge out of exploring space has an impact on my life. What’s even more fun than that, though, is being able to talk about West Virginia’s role in all of it though sites like the Green Bank Space Telescope and NASA IV&V!

Past posts on this blog have preached the importance of science literacy and an appreciation for research and discovery. SPOT presentations help drive this point home, and while I only have a few more months to give SPOT presentations before I graduate, I’m so excited to take what I’ve learned about science communication from the SPOT program on to my career.

If you’re an educator or know someone who is, please introduce them to the SPOT program! We travel all over the state and will speak in front of nearly any group.  You can request a presentation directly from the site! It’s always amazing to me that elementary students can name more planets than college students. Sparking an interest and appreciation for science in early education is crucial for the decisions we will make as individuals (and a nation) in the future.

And just so you know, elementary students really, really, miss Pluto.

Lessons Learned from Toms River

On Monday, I was lucky enough to be able to attend a free presentation by science journalist, New York University professor and author, Dan Fagan. Dan was recently awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for his nonfiction book Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation.

Handout given to attendees

Now, I have to admit, I haven’t read the book yet. I’m in the thick of thesis writing, graduate school assistantships, job applications and volunteer activities. I haven’t actually read anything longer than scholarly journal article in probably six months. Luckily, Dan’s presentation was meant for those who were new to the Tom’s River story, and the information was incredibly relevant for the Appalachia area.

Toms River is a small town in New Jersey. Dan described it as a “middle of America kind of place.” It’s a town where the people thrive on things like Little League. Unfortunately, Toms River’s economy thrived on a chemical plant near the center of town. At one point, Toms River was home to the countries largest dye plant with over 1,300 employees.

Dan talked a lot about the life and stories of Toms River, but with help from the audience, he mirrored much of the discussion to West Virginia, like water contamination, powerful activists, government regulations and cleanup efforts.

While the main idea of Dan’s lecture was to talk about epidemiology, or the science that studies the patterns, causes and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations, undertones of the presentation reinforced the need for clear communication and science literacy.

For instance, the residents of Toms River finally convinced the government to look at the cancer rates in the town. The results showed rates were 50% over the expected number, but officials kept the result hidden. In a world seamlessly connected with technology, hiding information is never an option, yet it often seems to happen (unsuccessfully) when it comes to issues of industry and public health.

Dan talks about the percent increase in cancer cases compared to the expected number in Toms River. Notice that the cancer rate for children under 5 was three times higher!

Dan also pointed out the need for adequately funded government oversight. We need to empower hollow agencies so they can enforce regulations. The NSA has a budget of 80 billion while the EPA only 8 billion. Now in Appalachia, empowering an agency who has been framed as the sole economy killer is a hard pill for many to swallow, but if we want to ever drink our water with comfort and certainty, it’s something that we’re going to have to work with.

The presentation ended with Dan emphasizing the power and responsibly an individual has. As professional media declines and citizen journalism finds power through social media, the average citizen needs to be smarter and more aware than ever. As public safety, industry, economy and politics continue to become even more entwined, and populations grow as resources shrink, we need STEM education and science literacy more than ever.

How science literate are you?  Do you actively reach for the science section of a newspaper (or click on the science link), or do you look to nightly news reports from your favorite local anchors? Some of you might even turn towards blogs and social media. Let me know where you get your news and why you chose that outlet!

The More the Merrier

Although I’m a firm believer in getting my news from a trusted source, like the Associated Press, I’m also a big fan of reading the opinions of others on recent news via a blog.  I wanted to share with you just a few of my favorite blogs that I turn to for inspiration.  Some are strictly about science communication, some about STEM outreach, some about space (my favorite topic) and even one about energy issues, like coal, in West Virginia.  I hope a few of these pique your interest, and let me know if you find any others I should be checking out!

COMPASS is all about connecting scientists and their work with the general public. This blog helps scientists find their voice and brings science into everyday conversation, making it a great resource for the most up to date information in the science world.

The Plainspoken Scientist is a blog ran by the American Geophysical Union dedicated to helping scientists reach out to the public. It offers great tips on everything from public speaking tips to new online tools and platforms

The Art of Science Communication is primarily a blog dedicated to STEM students who face the daunting task of writing a thesis, but this blog offers great advice on presentation and engagement as well.

STEMblog calls itself the one-stop shop for who’s doing what in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It’s a great source to learn about the leaders in STEM outreach.

I F***ing Love Science is everyone’s favorite vulgar science Facebook page, but their Editor’s blog features some excellent insight on the world of science while debunking loads of viral science-related stories.

Bill Nye (the science guy) runs a blog through the Planetary Society on space, technology, STEM education and policy. His blog is one of my favorites thanks to its honest and thorough discussion of the intersection between government and science.

Coal Tattoo is probably my favorite blog I follow. It’s written by one of my personal favorite journalists, Ken Ward Jr., and follows the energy industry in West Virginia and the surrounding areas. Coal, and now fracking, plays a huge role in science in the state.

I love reading Science League of America. They’re self-proclaimed mission is to defend the teaching of evolution and climate science, but they talk about much for than that. They’re one of my go-to resources for STEM education policy.

The Loom is a blog belong to Carl Zimmer, one of today’s premiere science journalists. His blog covers all realms of science, but always delivers it in an interesting and easy to understand way.

Bad Astronomy is run by astronomer, public speaker and science evangelizer, Phil Plait, or the Bad Astronomer as he’s know on Twitter. Phil covers all aspects of the universe, but specializes in debunking exaggerated solar stories and tearing through the red tape of space policy.

Science! So What?

Whether you believe it or not, media is important. We rely on media to keep us up to date on the latest political scandal, tell us a play-by-play of last night’s football game, provide us with information on the economic outlook for our town, state and country, and even give us reviews on the latest line of vehicles.

What many of us don’t do, though, is regularly turn to the news for information on what politician is now in charge of the National Aeronautics and Space Agency, or NASA, a recap of the latest rocket launch, what company is building a plant near our water, or show us the environmental impact of that new SUV we just purchased.

There are a lot of reasons we might avoid these science-based stories. They’re generally long, complex and difficult to attribute directly to our daily life. Ohio won the National Championship because they were a better team. Awesome! We’ve been to Ohio before and we’re quite familiar with football. SpaceX just successfully launched a resupply rocket to ISS but failed to land the craft in one piece. So what? We’re not on ISS. We’re not even sure what ISS stands for! It’s International Space Station, by the way. Reading about things we don’t already have some knowledge about its exhausting.

We may not actively seek out science media, but we definitely should be. Increased public scientific awareness benefits the science itself, scientific organizations, scientists, and the general public. Yes, even you. But as of 2010, the U.S. National Association of Science Writers reported a 10 percent decline in membership from the year before. This decline means general assignment reporters are picking up science and technology stories, which means they have less knowledge in the area and less time to write. This has made science communication often short, exaggerated, or simply wrong.

While stories on science topics have vanished off the front pages of the daily newspaper, they’ve found a new hope in specialist outlets like Popular Science, Scientific American, and even the ever-popular I F***ing Love Science Facebook page. Though these offer AMAZING stories, photos and facts, the general public rarely reaches for these when they’re looking for something to read. This blog will address the presence, absence and quality of science communication as time goes by, but for now, what are your thoughts? Where do you get your science news? Who do/don’t you trust? How important is science to you?

Feel free to comment, or tweet at me at @Kbasham1!