In the Fall of 2023, The GLOBE Implementation Office awarded Fairmont State University and the NASA IV&V's Education Resource Center in Fairmont, WV a grant funding the Atmosphere data protocol training to prepare GLOBE teachers to become mentors for GLOBE science fair projects both at the county/state level as well as during the GLOBE International Virtual Science Symposium.
It has been an honor receiving this award and taking on my biggest responsibility within The GLOBE Program to date. Serving as the project PI and mentoring teachers to facilitate GLOBE data collection and research projects so far has been extremely rewarding both for me as a GLOBE mentor but also for schools in WV.
Originally designed to train 12 teachers to borrow the NASA IV&V ERC's GLOBE: Atmosphere kit and implement Atmosphere data collection and learning activities, the vision of this grant was to increase the number of students not only engaging with GLOBE but also to improve school science fair projects with authentic data. The application called for teachers aiming to be science fair mentors and assisting students in the GLOBE projects. As a result, we currently have 3 GLOBE teachers who are mentoring 2 unique student projects that will incorporate atmosphere data from their WV communities.
Because the number of selected mentors for this project was less than anticipated, our project received approval to adjust our vision to also purchase equipment for these teams of students to collect data for their projects as well as to sustain the projects for future years in their schools. We have purchased 2 Davis Weather stations, 2 sling psychrometers for relative humidity investigations, 2 precipitation gauges, and 2 digital barometers (necessary for the diverse elevation of WV) for permanent use at schools in Harrison, Wood, Preston, and Monongalia counties. Additionally, to increase the capabilities of the NASA IV&V ERC GLOBE: Atmosphere kit a Davis Weather Station and tripod set up have been purchased so that schools may use and upload the weather data during their weather units while the equipment is being borrowed at their school, which this Kit Loan & Learn Program is available for any teacher who completes our 4 hour certification training. For more information on loanable kits, check out nasaivverc.org
As a result of this project, we have established a monthly meeting of the GLOBE Atmosphere Focus Group where recently GLOBE teachers/mentors selected for this project have shared their success, obstacles, and status of completion of science fair projects. I've also, virtually, helped 2 schools to scope out Atmosphere sites for their Davis Weather station installments. Think of the benefits this project will serve beyond the life of this grant when students all across the GLOBE will be able to access the data from these communities for their own atmosphere studies.
During our NEXT virtual meeting I'll begin to provide feedback on poster drafts for GLOBE IVSS- Can't wait!
