GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION OUTREACH (GEO): PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GEOSCIENTISTS

Geoscience Education Outreach (GEO) is a program designed to use the knowledge and expertise of undergraduate and graduate geology majors for improving the quality of earth science education in the local public schools. The program consist of inquiry based activities and lessons that are aligned with the National Science Education Standards, State Science Education Standards, and local school curriculum. Students designed activities and put together materials for interactive "hands-on minds-on" learning. GEO is operated by geology students and is supported by geology students who volunteer their time, rocks, fossils, minerals, and gas. Students designed, printed, and distributed flyers advertising GEO. Teachers call and ask for a date and an activity. Students schedule the event, gather materials, and select two volunteers who can fit it into their class schedules. In the 2002-2003 school year approximately 400 public school students were enriched by these scientific activities. GEO was started at Virginia Tech around 1995 and expanded to include Wright State University in 2000. Through GEO the public school students found a resource for the Science Olympiads. The GEO program students at Wright State University subsequently helped with four different Science Olympiad teams this year. The GEO students have proven themselves to be a valuable asset to local school systems. GEO can enrich the public school scientific community, help students improve their proficiency scores, and improve the general understanding of the earth we live on. The GEO program can be implemented anywhere there is a geology department and students willing to share their time, energy, and enthusiasm for the geosciences.