NATURALLY ILLINOIS EXPO - A MODEL FOR PROMOTING THE GEOSCIENCES TO YOUNG AND OLD

The Naturally Illinois Expo is a two-day event held annually on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with the primary objective of generating excitement for the sciences in elementary and middle-school students. From 2006-2008 the Expo showcased work exclusively from the Illinois State Geological Survey, but it now draws upon the expertise of scientists from the five Illinois Scientific Surveys comprising the Prairie Research Institute. This spring over 3000 people, including teachers, students, and the public-at-large, participated in this unique event, which included more than 50 exhibits, demonstrations, and hands-on activities staffed by scientists working on cutting-edge research involving natural and cultural resources and technological issues in Illinois and throughout the world.

Communication and promotion of the geosciences is realized in various ways throughout the planning and execution of the Naturally Illinois Expo. Students, their teachers, and the general public who visit the Expo are engaged directly by enthusiastic geoscientists as they visit the various exhibits, and students are given “field books” to fill out containing questions regarding the exhibits they have seen. Additionally, teachers are provided packets of materials to facilitate further instruction, learning, and hopefully interest, in their classrooms. University geology students and early-career geoscientists at the survey are encouraged to serve as exhibitors, with the hope that their interactions with the public and with senior scientists will generate enthusiasm and showcase the relevance of their chosen field of study or profession.