OUTSIDE: Over Under and Through: Students Informally Discover the Environment

September 15, 2012 - August 31, 2014 | Public Programs, Professional Development, Conferences, and Networks

OUTSIDE: Over Under and Through: Students Informally Discover the Environment will focus on conducting a pilot study of our informal environmental education nature program designed for underrepresented middle school students in Mississippi. We have partnered with the University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) well-established Biological Sciences Learning Center (BSLC) and newly developed Lake Thoreau Environmental Center (LTEC), the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and the Hattiesburg Public School District (HPSD). We are focused on reaching two target populations of participants: future naturalists and underrepresented middle school students. During this pilot, we are training volunteer naturalists to lead engaging, inquiry-driven informal environmental education programs designed to immerse middle school students in nature. We have developed a training program for volunteer naturalists and captured patterns in learning and interactions between students and naturalists during OUTSIDE programming.

Project Products

A Look into Informal Science Education and Students with Individual Education Plans Identities and Motives of Naturalist Development Program Attendees and Their Relation to Professional Careers Getting Students Outside: Using Technology as a Way to Stimulate Engagement

Naturalists' Perspectives on the Use of Mobile Technology During a Nature Hike Poster - Over, Under, and Through: Students Informally Discover the Environment (OUTSIDE) OUTSIDE Evaluation Summary Summative Report OUTSIDE

Funders

NSF

Funding Program: ISE/AISL

Award Number: 1224051

Funding Amount: 250001

TEAM MEMBERS

Kristy Daniel (Halverson)

Principal Investigator

University of Southern Mississippi

Aimee Thomas

Co-Principal Investigator

University of Southern Mississippi

Resource Type: Projects | Project Descriptions

Discipline: Ecology, forestry, and agriculture | Education and learning science | Life science

Audience: Middle School Children (11-13) | Educators/Teachers | Museum/ISE Professionals | Scientists | Evaluators

Environment Type: Public Programs | Park, Outdoor, and Garden Programs | Professional Development, Conferences, and Networks | Professional Development and Workshops

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