[Previous] | [Session 14] | [Next]
J.A. Grier (PSI), D.H. Atkinson (U. Idaho), N. Barlow (U. Ctr. Florida), I. Griffin (STScI), J. Hoffman (JPL), B. Kelly-Serrato (NASA JSC), L. Kesthelyi (U. Arizona), M. Klein (JPL), S. Klug (ASU), B. Kolvoord (JMU), P. Lanagan, L.A. Lebofsky (U. Arizona), M. Lindstrom (NASA JSC), R. Lopes, L. Lowes (JPL), J. Manifold (Applied Space), R. Mastrapa, M. Milazzo (U. Arizona), E. Miner (JPL), P. Morris (U. Houston), C. Runyon (C. Charleston), A. Sohus (JPL), M. Urquhart (NASA Ames), R.L. Warasila (Suffolk County CC), P. Withers (U. Arizona), Chuck Wood (Columbia U.)
Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) activities are an integral part of NASA’s mandated mission and detailed in its Strategic Plan. The Office of Space Science Solar System Exploration (OSS SSE) E/PO program has made great strides in defining priorities and achieving its goals in the last five years. The Education and Public Outreach panel for NASA’s Decadal Survey has generated a list of key issues to be addressed for the years 2003-2013 to assist the OSS SSE in future prioritization and planning. Key issues under discussion include: improving the involvement of planetary science professionals in E/PO activities; combating scientific elitism; examining the association between E/PO programs and public relations; re-examining funding E/PO activities from an audience perspective as opposed to a mission-centered perspective; improving access to resources for scientists, educators, students and partner organizations; promoting communication between educational programs at NASA; and reaching traditionally underrepresented groups, women, minorities and the disabled with science education programs. The panel is developing a list of specific recommendations to be implemented to improve OSS SSE E/PO activities in the next decade. These recommendations deal with topics such as: the production of evaluated resource web sites for scientists and educators; the development of a policy of long-term funding for the maintenance of web sites and other tools after they are created; methods for reaching those who do not have computer access through television and public programs; and the development of a reward system to recognize and encourage scientist involvement in E/PO activities. Such key issues and recommendations will be presented, along with materials from current programs and initiatives for E/PO in the OSS SSE.