THE WORLDVIEWS NETWORK: DIGITAL PLANETARIUMS FOR ENGAGING PUBLIC AUDIENCES IN GLOBAL CHANGE ISSUES

The Worldviews Network uses immersive visualization technology in informal science institutions, like museums and planetariums, to engage public audiences across the United States on issues of global environmental change at a bioregional level. Audiences are immersed in tours of Earth and space, following storylines that emphasize the interplay of physical and biological systems. Museum and planetarium staff join the Worldviews Network team and external advisers to produce programs that span cosmic, global, and bioregional scales, capitalizing on museum environments to engage in science-based discussions. Each program employs a "See, Know, Do" transformative learning model. Dialogues and further interaction with audiences highlight ways in which they can remain engaged in the bioregional topic.