A week-long earth-system sciences workshop for middle school teachers, coordinated by the University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ at Boulder and the St. Vrain School District, will begin June 23 at LongmontÂ’s Skyline High School.
ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ 20 faculty members, research associates and graduate students from the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder-based Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and representatives of local and state agencies will work with 27 teachers during the workshop. The event, part of the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ K-12 outreach program, will include hands-on activities and outdoor observations for teachers and cover such topics as geology, astronomy, water use and air quality.
The workshop is sponsored by ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥, the St. Vrain school district, the State of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥, the Eisenhower Program for Mathematics and Science Education and CONNECT, a National Science Foundation math and science initiative. Designed to help teachers meet district science proficiencies, the outreach effort is being coordinated by ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ research associates Alex Weaver and Susan Buhr and ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder education school doctoral student Kenneth Emo.
In addition to presentations by scientists, the workshop will include a field trip to observe local geologic features around the Rabbit Mountain Open Space area southeast of Lyons on June 24.
Daily presentations will be made by ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder faculty and researchers as well as representatives from the City of Longmont, the City of Boulder and the St. Vrain School District. ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ is a joint institute of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.