Boise State University ~ Communications and Marketing: May 8, 2008: Boise State Partners with Local Science Education Centers on $2.26 Million NSF Grant; Largest NSF Grant in University History

News Release

BOISE STATE NEWS RELEASE / May 8, 2008

Boise State Partners with Local Science Education Centers on $2.26 Million NSF Grant; Largest NSF Grant in University History

Boise State University researchers will partner with three Treasure Valley science education centers to create locally-focused lessons designed to stimulate an interest in science, potentially reaching up to 40,000 of the region’s school children.

This new program will be funded with a $2.26 million grant, the largest National Science Foundation grant ever awarded to Boise State, through the NSF’s Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education program.

Over the next five years, 32 Boise State graduate fellows in biology and the geosciences will work with educators at the Discovery Center of Idaho, and the City of Boise’s two science education centers, the Foothills Learning Center and the Boise WaterShed Environmental Education Center. Their charge will be to develop new science curriculum with local and regional themes for the K-12 classes that visit the centers regularly. They will also develop programs and activities that will be used in traditional classroom settings through outreach.

“You couldn’t have designed an initiative to better reflect the principles that are paramount to our growing research programs all across campus,” said Mark Rudin, Boise State’s vice president for research. “This research is timely and relevant to the community. Its legacy will not only be new and engaging science curriculums for educators, but also a revitalized interest in science among our children. The community partnerships that will be fostered and the experience our graduate fellows will gain are invaluable.”

Karen Viskupic, a Boise State geosciences professor, was awarded funding for the initiative by the NSF and will oversee the project along with Jim Belthoff, chairman of Boise State’s biology department, and David Wilkins, a professor of geosciences at Boise State.

“I am excited about this project because it will benefit both the university and the community,” Viskupic said. “The project will build on our partners’ success by funding graduate students to develop locally relevant science education activities. These activities will help K-12 students and the community learn about biology and the geosciences and understand the importance of scientific research. At the same time, our graduate fellows will gain experience in communicating science to K-12 students, which will prepare them for interacting with non-technical audiences throughout their career – audiences that may include policy makers, politicians, school groups and the general public.”
Boise State’s partners, which together will serve more than 40,000 K-12 students during the program, are equally excited about the project’s prospects.

Boise Mayor David Bieter said the project advances the city’s emphasis on environmental education at the Foothills Learning Center and the new Boise WaterShed facility, which will officially open its doors next week.

“We’re thrilled to have these graduate fellows contributing to Boise’s environmental education centers. The classes and programs they develop will provide an even richer educational experience for the teachers and students who visit,” Bieter said. “This partnership developed by Boise State will touch the entire community and is another reason why Boise is the most livable city in the country.”

By focusing on the creation of a lifelong interest in science, Woody Sobey, the education director at the Discovery Center of Idaho, said the project was a natural fit for the popular hands-on on science learning center.

“We’re very pleased to be part of this exciting project,” Sobey said. “It will be a great addition to our offerings and our kids’ engagement.”

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Media Contact: Mike Journee, University Communications, (208) 426-1517, mikejournee@boisestate.edu

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Last reviewed on Thursday, May 08, 2008