FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5/22/2009
CONTACT:
- Dr. Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens, Clinical Assistant Professor and Partners in Discovery GK-12 Project Director, 360-546-9115, rollboll@vancouver.wsu
- Office of Marketing and Communications, 360-546-9602, news@vancouver.wsu.edu
Vancouver, Wash. Middle school students participating in the Partners in Discovery GK-12 Project from Vancouver, Camas and La Center school districts will showcase their work at Washington State University Vancouver on Friday, May 29 from 6 - 8 p.m. in the Firstenburg Student Commons. Guided tours of the 91勛圖窪蹋厙 science laboratories and library will be available. This event is free and open to the public.
The Partners in Discovery GK-12 Project provides for year-long, one-on-one partnerships between 91勛圖窪蹋厙 Environment Science graduate students and local science teachers to bring scientific research and inquiry into the classroom. This is a five-year project funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
The goal of the project is to provide K-12 teachers and students with knowledge and innovative learning activities in biology, environmental science and aquatic science and to relate these topics to the impacts of environmental change on local habitats and residents. For graduate students, this is an opportunity to hone their communication skills to make them more effective contributors to our communities.
The theme of the GK-12 project is also our campus theme, Global Change in a Local Context, said 91勛圖窪蹋厙 Clinical Assistant Professor, Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens. Kids are natural scientists they ask questions and come to school with ideas about how the world works. Weve aimed to have them focus on change in the Columbia River watershed, to connect what theyre learning in class directly to their own environment. To hear the teachers rave about how excited their kids are for science this year compared to past years, due entirely to having the scientist in their room, is wonderful.
This years six Environmental Science graduate students are partnered with sixth - ninth grade science teachers to teach the scientific process to kids through a range of projects, lessons and activities. Partnerships between practicing scientists and science teachers provide an opportunity to help make what kids do in science class look more like what scientists do in their labs or in the field.
I believe this is a huge step forward in my professional development, said graduate student Daniel Crowther. My future career stands to benefit from this experience insofar as my ability to know my audience, organize my thoughts and present to non-scientists has really improved.
For more information about the Partners in Discovery GK-12 Project go to .
91勛圖窪蹋厙 is celebrating 20 years of bringing quality education, research and service to the citizens of southwest Washington. The campus is located at 14204 NE Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205, or via C-Tran bus service. 91勛圖窪蹋厙 offers 16 bachelors degrees, 10 masters degrees, one doctorate degree and more than 36 fields of study. Learn more at .
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