The U.S. National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), hosting conferences on Science Education since 1952, provides educators from around the world with the latest in science content, teaching strategies, and research to enhance and expand their professional growth. GLOBE has had a strong presence at NSTA since 1995, where GLOBE community members from across the U.S. and Canada have met for years to network and learn from one another. This year, over 100 GLOBE community members met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 17 – 20 March 2010. Major activities included the fifth annual GLOBE North America Regional meeting, the annual GLOBE Community reception, networking at the exhibit hall booths, participation in two National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA) Share-a-thons, as well as several presentations made throughout the conference by GLOBE’s ESSP teams, community members and GPO staff.
Booth
GLOBE Program Office staff visited with over thousands of teachers and educators, distributing program materials and providing partner contact information at the GLOBE exhibit hall booth, as well as GLOBE representation in the NASA, NOAA, UCAR, and NOAO (GLOBE at Night) booths.
This year, many conference attendees reported either attending GLOBE training in the past or had heard about the GLOBE program and came to the booths looking for more information. Some teachers stopped by to share their recent training and implementation experience and others were interested in learning about how GLOBE activities would fit in their state science standards. Visitors at the booth completed a short questionnaire about use and dissemination of GLOBE products. Ben Franklin made a surprise visit to the GLOBE Booth on Thursday afternoon (organized by John Buchanan) to discuss his experiences with collecting Sea Surface Temperature and encourage teachers to involve their students in hands-on science, such as GLOBE. See the Ben Franklin Star.
GLOBE Reception 
The annual NSTA GLOBE reception honors the GLOBE Community: GLOBE teachers, Partners, Trainers, Scientists, and our dedicated GLOBE vendors that have provided equipment and facilitated educational experiences to the GLOBE community for years. Thank you to all who attended! As in the past, the reception served as a fabulous networking session providing everyone opportunities to share their accomplishments with or gain insight from other members of the GLOBE community. Guests were surprised by another impromptu appearance from Ben Franklin at the GLOBE reception! In addition, participants enjoyed giveaways as door prizes, including GLOBE t-shirts, hats and vests from the GLOBE Program Office, USB lights donated by John Buchanan of the Casualty Actuarial Society, and coffee table books, hats and coolers provided by NOAA. The new Earth System poster and Activity Guides, lenticular postcards and GLOBE luggage tags were also made available to everyone. We hope to see you all at the GLOBE NSTA Community Reception next year in San Francisco!
Special announcements at the reception included a reminder from GLOBE Canada Country Coordinator Bill Batycky about the 14th GLOBE Annual Meeting and Professional Development Workshop that will take place in Calgary, Canada, on 29 July – 3 August 2010. In addition, Miia Rannikmäe, Secretary of the International Council of Associations for Science Education ( ICASE) spoke to all guests. The International Council of Associations for Science Education (ICASE) was established in 1973 to extend and improve science education for children and young people throughout the world. Today, ICASE is a large network of science education associations, institutions, foundations and companies, facilitating communication and cooperation at the regional and international level. All community members were invited to attend the 3rd World Conference in Science and Technology Education that will take place in Tartu, Estonia, on 28 June – 2 July 2010. One day of the event will focus entirely on GLOBE implementation.
North America Regional Meeting 
GLOBE Canadian and U.S. Partners began meeting formally during NSTA in 2006, when the first official partner meeting took place during the NSTA event in Anaheim, California. The tradition continued this year as over 30 representatives from the North America region, including Canada, U.S. Partners from 17 states, as well as the North America Alumni and Parent Council representatives, met on Wednesday, 17 March 2010, the day before NSTA began. Priorities focused on sharing experiences working with teachers and students on GLOBE research projects and activities, and discussing collaboration and strengthening GLOBE in North America. Guest appearances included representation from NOAA to share their renewed funding role with GLOBE, and from the GLOBE Africa Region to report on the outcome of the Mt. Kilimanjaro Student Research Expedition and provide information about the 2010 event. In addition, various vendors showed up to thank North America Partners for their continued support as GLOBE product sales have continued to be significant.
In order to ensure that the entire U.S. Partner network could participate in the meeting, many presentations via Skype were included and streaming video allowed Partners from across the U.S. to connect live to the meeting. Over 100 viewers joined the meeting virtually this year! All presentations are linked below within the meeting agenda.
Fifth North America Regional Meeting at NSTA Agenda
8:30 – 8:35 AM
Opening_&_GLOBE_Program_Office_Update.pdf, and Introduction of Partners and Guests
Teresa Kennedy, Director, GLOBE International Division and U.S. Country Coordinator
8:35 – 8:45 AM
GLOBE_Climate_Research_and_Related_Events.pdf
Donna Charlevoix, GLOBE Climate Research Campaign Coordinator
8:45 – 9:15 AM
GIAC Update – On-site and Video presentation
Marsha Willis, North America GIAC Representative (Austin, Texas) with Former North America GIAC representatives Paul Ruscher (Tallahassee, Florida) & Michael Odell (Tyler, Texas). The next North America GIAC term representatives will be announced:
Term: 2012-2013 Lynne Hehr (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
Term: 2014-2015 Jerry Cobbs (Huntsville, Alabama)
9:15 – 9:30 AM – SKYPE Presentation
Mt. Kilimanjaro GLOBE International Student Research Project
Mark Brettenny, Africa Regional Office Director (Mossel Bay, South Africa)
9:30 – 9:45 AM
GLOBE_in_Canada.pdf and the 14th Annual GLOBE Meeting and Professional Development Workshop
Carol and Bill Batycky, GLOBE Canada Country Coordinators (Calgary, Canada)
9:45 – 10:00 AM – On-site and SKYPE Presentation
GLOBE_North_America_Alumni_Organization.pdf Sheila Yule, GLOBE Networks Coordinator, GLOBE Program Office (Louisville, Kentucky) & Matthew Fenzel, North America Alumni Representative (Louisville, Kentucky)
10:00 – 10:15 AM
GLOBE Parent Council
Keith Young, GLOBE North America Parent Council Coordinator
10:15 – 10:30 AM Break and Networking
10:30 – 10:45 AM – SKYPE Presentation
Workshop_Formats,_Science_Integration_Models,_&_On-line_Carbon_Course.pdf
Jennifer Bourgeault (Stratham, New Hampshire)
11:00 – 11:15 AM
Funding_GLOBE_Building_Partnerships.pdf
Todd Ensign (Fairmont, West Virginia) & Deb Hemler (Fairmont, West Virginia)
11:15 – 11:30 AM – SKYPE Presentation
The_GLOBE_Program_in_Wayne_County,_MI.pdf
David Bydlowski (Wayne, Michigan)
11:30 – 11:45 AM
To Observe the Earth and Visualize the Future: One School's Story.pdf
John Moore (Medford, New Jersey)
11:45 – 12:00 PM Morning Wrap-up
12:00 – 1:00 PM LUNCH and Networking
1:00 – 1:15 PM
ESSEA_Using_GLOBE_in_Earth_System_Science_Approaches.pdf
Mitch Klett (Marquette, Michigan)
1:15 – 1:30 PM – SKYPE Presentation
Student_Projects_Using_GLOBE_Seasons_and_Biomes_Protocols.pdf
Thomas Alena (Avon, Connecticut) & Jonathan Craig (Avon, Connecticut)
1:30 – 1:45 PM
GLOBE_and_the_CloudSat_Education_Network_Partners_for_Atmospheric_Inquiry.pdf
Todd Ellis (Oneonta, New York) & Deanna TeBockhorst (Fort Collins, Colorado)
1:45 – 2:00 PM – SKYPE Presentation
Elementary_Students_Research.pdf
Do-Yong Park (Normal, Illinois)
2:00 – 2:15 PM
GLOBE_&_STEM_A_Natural_Partnership.pdf
Tony Murphy (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
2:15 – 2:30 PM
Approaches_to_Using_GLOBE_with_Early_Elementary_Students.pdf
Jerry Cobbs (Montgomery, Alabama) & Robin Nelson (Montgomery, Alabama)
2:30 – 2:45 PM Break and Networking
2:45 – 3:00 PM
A_New_Partnership_with_the_Florida_Department_of_Environmental_Protection_and_the_LIFE_Network.pdf
Dr. Paul Ruscher (Tallahassee, Florida)
3:00 – 3:15 PM – SKYPE Presentation
Education_through_Experience_for_the_Next_Generation_of_Explorers.pdf
Dr. Elizabeth Moses (Tampa, Florida)
3:15 – 3:30 PM
Education_of_the_Northern_Gulf_of_Mexico.pdf
Ms. Sherry Herron (Hattiesburg, Mississippi)
3:45 – 4:00 PM Final Discussion and Adjourn
For information about past North America Regional Meetings at NSTA see the following reports:
- 1st North America Regional Meeting: Anaheim, California: 5 April 2006
- 2nd North America Regional Meeting: St. Louis, Missouri: 28 March 2007
- 3rd North America Regional Meeting: Boston, Massachusetts, 26 March 2008
- 4th North America Regional Meeting: New Orleans, Louisiana: 18 March 2009
Please mark your calendars for the 2011 NSTA event where we will meet in San Francisco, California. The North America Regional meeting will take place on Wednesday, 9 March 2011, the Community Reception on 10 March, and the overall NSTA event from 10–13 March 2011. We hope to see you next year!
