News Brief
August 2015 GLOBE News Brief
19th Annual Partner Meeting in Los Angeles
Unites GLOBE's Global Community
Image of the Week
The 19th GLOBE Annual Partner Meeting and 3rd Student Research Exhibition, held in Los Angeles from 19-24 July, drew 225 participants from 32 countries. Read more about this fabulous event.
News
Quality Control Changes for GLOBE Data Metrics and Honor Roll
GLOBE recently implemented quality control improvements that will help ensure that data associated with a school are counted properly (and only once), and that data of one type is equally counted when compared to data of the same type with other schools. Depending on the type of data a school collected, the number of measurements being reported for Metrics and Honor Roll may have changed for that school compared to what was displayed prior to this summer. No data are being deleted - only improvements to the algorithm for processing the data have changed, and the results from the processed data are what now count for the Honor Roll and Metrics, and on the visualization system.
GLOBE Requesting Community Feedback on International Science Fair Rubrics
The GLOBE Implementation Office (GIO) and WestEd have created new rubrics to be used for the 2016 GLOBE International Virtual Science Fair. These rubrics have been reviewed by the GLOBE Working Groups; however, GIO is seeking community feedback by 21 August 2015.
GLOBE Community members can download the rubrics, and send feedback to Julie Malmberg at malmberg@ucar.edu. GIO is specifically looking for feedback on the differences between the grade bands, the elements in the lower primary grades, the new badges, and the clarity of specific criteria.
New Opportunity for Scientists to Partner with GLOBE Distinguished Educator Program
Through the GLOBE Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program, educators can partner with GISN scientists to create a scientifically rigorous educational activity.
If you are interested in assisting a GLOBE educator, please let us know! Send an email to Julie Malmberg (malmberg@ucar.edu) with your name, institution, location (city, state, and country), contact information, and scientific area of expertise. We will compile this list and make it available to all interested educators. This does not guarantee that you will be contacted to assist a teacher, but you will be included in a list supplied to teachers applying for the fellowship. The instructions for the 2016 fellowship have not yet been announced, but you can refer to the 2015 fellowship instructions for more information.
GLOBE Ukraine Successfully Hosts Student Phenology Campaign "Cherry Ukraine"
In 2015, GLOBE Ukraine held a Student Phenology Campaign called "Cherry Ukraine." The aim of the campaign, which lasted from February through May, was to engage students from Ukraine in investigation of the vegetation cycles of wild cherry (Prunus cerasus) and Nanking cherry (Prunus tomentosa). During the campaign, participants observed budbursts of the cherry species, measuring solar noon temperature and reporting their data to the GLOBE website.
Overall, 686 students and 89 teachers from 70 schools and educational institutions from all over Ukraine participated in the campaign
GLOBE Community - Grant Support
Looking for small grants to support GLOBE in your community? IDEA WILD is a nonprofit that supports community projects related to biodiversity conservation, research, or education through small grants (up to $1,500 USD). These grants can be used to purchase GLOBE equipment or support GLOBE education initiatives.
Opportunities for Students
United Nations' International Youth Day Event is 12 August 2015
The United Nations' (UN) International Youth Day is celebrated on 12 August every year in order to recognize the efforts of the world's youth in enhancing global society. The goal is to promote ways to engage youth in becoming more actively involved in making positive contributions to their communities.
The theme of International Youth Day 2015 is "Youth Civic Engagement." The engagement and participation of youth is essential to achieve sustainable human development. This event will showcase inspiring ways in which young people engage in civic, political, and social spheres, and will explore how the issue of youth civic engagement is an enabler for an enhanced and inclusive participation of young women and men in decision-making and public life.
Citizen Science Challenge - Win a Trip to Eye on Earth Summit in Abu Dhabi
The Eye on Earth (EoE) Alliance is sending four winners to Abu Dhabi, UAE, to attend the 2015 EoE Summit in October, and present their work to thought leaders and decision makers in the environmental data sphere. EoE is seeking applications that use data to craft creative projects and stunning visualizations that will help relate the urgency of our global environmental situation and enhance our ability to make better day-to-day choices and policy decisions.
The two competitions - a citizen science challenge and a data visualization challenge - are the first in a series of exciting activities leading up to the EoE Summit in October this year. Submissions are due 20 August!
Opportunities for Teachers
GLOBE Teachers - NASA's GPM Mission Looking for "GPM Master Teachers"
Are you a GLOBE teacher actively using GLOBE protocols with your students? Then NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission is looking for you! NASA is seeking a small cadre of "GPM Master Teachers" to learn about how NASA missions study our planet, and to share what they learn with their students and fellow teachers.
Selected teachers will earn a stipend of $2,000 (USD) for their participation, which will run from 1 September 2015 through30 June 2016. All of the training and participation will be conducted online. It is anticipated that teachers will spend approximately 10 hours per month working on this collaborative project. This opportunity is open to GLOBE teachers anywhere in the world.
GLOBE Teachers: Write About GLOBE for NSTA's Journal, The Science Teacher
The Science Teacher (TST), the award-winning journal of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), has issued a call for manuscripts that describe new and creative ideas for the secondary science classroom - and The GLOBE Program would like to encourage GLOBE teachers to share their GLOBE science experience and expertise with TST's savvy and sophisticated audience.
TST is seeking manuscripts that provide "worthwhile ideas and practical help for teachers" as they relate to the following themes:
- New Tools for Data Collection and Sharing (Deadline: 15 August 2015)
- Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions (Deadline: 15 August 2015)
- 21st Century Skills: Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Problem Solving (Deadline: 1 September 2015)
- Crosscutting Concepts and Interdisciplinary Projects (Deadline 1 October 2015)
- Science for All (Deadline: 15 October 2015)
- Science and Engineering (Deadline: Ongoing)
In addition to these topics, TST is always seeking original manuscripts on any secondary science education topic, in accordance with their author guidelines
Free Webinars for NASA STEM Educators
The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC) is presenting a series of no-cost webinars open to all educators. All pre-service, K-12, and informal educators, as well as university faculty, are invited to join NASA education specialists to learn about NASA missions, activities, lesson plans, educator guides, and online resources that integrate NASA and STEM into the classroom.
An upcoming webinar, "Engineering Enables Science Series - Integrating Engineering into Science " is geared toward educators in grade levels 5 through 12. In this webinar, which is presented by John Weis (at 6:30 p.m. ET on 19 August 2015), participants will get an overview of NASA Engineering Resources and participate in a discussion of methods of integrating engineering design into existing science curricula.
Connect With Us
The GLOBE Program depends on you to let us know what is happening in your regions, countries, communities and classrooms. Send us news you would like to share with the GLOBE Community and we'll include it in next month's News Brief. Be sure to include photos, too.
Send your message to communications@globe.gov
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News Brief Archive
Past issues of the GLOBE News Brief and letters from Dr. Tony Murphy to the GLOBE community can be found in the online archive.
GLOBE International Scientists Network (GISN) Corner
GISN Member Spotlight - The GIO would like to highlight GISN member Scott Steinschneider from Cornell University. Scott is part of UCAR's Visiting Scientist Programs (VSP) through the Climate & Global Change Postdoctoral Fellowship. He examines the intersection between anthropogenic, climatic, and hydrologic systems with an emphasis on water resources risk management under climate variability and change. The GISN now has more than 220 GISN members!
GISN Resources
GISN webinars are now online - New to K-12 outreach or looking for new ways to connect with students? Would you like to hear stories from GLOBE scientists about how they conduct scientific investigations? Check out our GLOBE GISN webinars and additional GISN resources.
GISN Web Tutorials - Need a refresher in how to retrieve and visualize your GLOBE data on globe.gov? Check out GLOBE's Web Tutorials - Using the GLOBE Website. These Web Tutorials will guide you on how to set up your data site, enter measurement data, and retrieve and visualize your data.
Want to learn more about the GISN and how you can connect with a GISN scientist? Send an email to Kristin Wegner (kwegner@ucar.edu).
Taking Learning to New Heights: The 2015 Mt. Kilimanjaro Xpedition
On 23 September 2015, an international team of GLOBE scientists, teachers, and students will begin their trek to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to evaluate the evolving ecosystem of the largest freestanding mountain in the world.
GIO Director Dr. Tony Murphy will be taking part in this adventurous trek along with many GLOBE teachers, students, and scientists.
We invite you to follow along via GLOBE Facebook and webinars, and interact with Xpedition members on the mountain. Keep an eye on the GLOBE homepage for links and updates, coming soon.
GLOBE Spotlight: Alumnus Abdelaziz Lawani Joins Borlaug LEAP Fellowship
GLOBE Alumnus Abdelaziz Lawani joined the Borlaug LEAP Fellowship as a 2015 Spring Fellow. Currently, Lawani is pursuing his PhD in Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky, which he expects to receive in 2017. He credits his early interest in agricultural topics to his high school experience with The GLOBE Program. Even as a teenager, Lawani says that people were drawn to his ability to work well with others while searching for creative solutions to problems. He hopes to use both what he has learned in the past, and what he will learn as a Borlaug LEAP Fellow, to mentor young people looking to work in the agricultural sector.
NOAA B-WET Funding Awards to GLOBE Partners
GLOBE is pleased to announce that two of NOAA's B-WET (Bay-Watershed Education and Training) regions are supporting awards to GLOBE Partners:
- The Chesapeake Bay Region is funding two awards - one to Gettysburg College (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA) and one to Howard County Conservancy (Woodstock, Maryland, USA).
- The Gulf of Mexico Region is supporting awards to the following PIs/Institutions:
- Teresa Greely, University of South Florida (Tampa, Florida, USA)
- Gary Kratzer, McNeese State University (Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA)
- Sarah Falkowski, Friends of Rookery Bay (Naples, Florida, USA)
- Alfredo Lorenzo/Katherine Millsa, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) University (Tallahassee, Florida, USA)
Peace Corps Expands Support of Let Girls Learn Initiative
The Peace Corps and MORE Magazine announced a new collaboration to support the U.S. government's "Let Girls Learn Initiative" to expand access to education for girls around the world.
Peace Corps' Let Girls Learn program is working to address barriers to girls' education by empowering local leaders in communities around the globe to put in place lasting solutions. Peace Corps Volunteers, who live and work at the grassroots level, serve as catalysts of community-led change, but they need the support of Americans from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference.
Through this new collaboration with MORE Magazine, the proceeds from the social commerce campaign that are directed to the Peace Corps' Let Girls Learn Fund, will support Peace Corps Volunteer projects and community training around the globe.
Upcoming 2015 GLOBE Teacher Training Workshops
Upcoming GLOBE teacher training workshops include:
- Rapid City, South Dakota, USA: 10-11 August (open to all teachers; targeted grade level: Primary K-2, Primary 3-4)
- Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA (Gettysburg College): 10 August (open to college professors)
- Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA (University of North Dakota): 13-14 August (open to teachers in the region; however preference will be given to UND students; targeted grave level: Primary K-2, Primary 3-4, Intermediate, Secondary)
- Fredonia, New York, USA (SUNY Fredonia): 24 August - 28 September (potential restricted attendance; targeted grade level: Primary K-2, Primary 3-4, Intermediate)
- Maumee, Ohio, USA (Xcite Learning): 17-18 September (open to all teachers)
- Reading Pennsylvania, USA (Environmental Exploration Center at Angelica Park): 10 October (open to all teachers; targeted grade level Primary K-2, Primary 3-4, Intermediate, Secondary)
Anniversaries
Congratulations to the 15 GLOBE countries celebrating anniversaries of successful GLOBE implementation during the month of July and August:
Tunisia - 20 years
27 July 1995
Sweden - 20 years
23 August 1995
The Gambia - 19 years
12 July 1996
Trinidad & Tobago - 19 years
16 July 1996
Peru - 18 years
10 July 1997
Macedonia - 17 years
24 August 1998
Bahamas - 15 years
12 July 2000
Cape Verde - 15 years
09 August 2000
India - 15 years
25 August 2000
Nigeria - 13 years
15 July 2002
Gabon - 12 years
11 August 2003
Rwanda - 12 years
21 August 2003
Mauritania - 11 years
06 July 2004
Niger - 10 years
11 August 2005
Ethiopia - 10 years
24 August 2005
Bermuda - 1 year
03 July 2014