Education/Public Outreach Events

At this year’s LPSC, there will be a variety of events and opportunities that will be of interest to the E/PO community and scientists who are involved in — or are interested in — education and outreach. Based on requests from the LPSC science community, there are expanded communication and E/PO opportunities for scientists this year, including sessions on communicating as well as the Sunday higher-education-faculty workshop.

Participate in E/PO Poster Sessions —
Tuesday, March 17, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., Town Center Exhibit Hall
There will be several E/PO poster sessions on the evening of Tuesday, March 17, covering such topics as engaging audiences, public outreach events, student experiences, tools and practices for scientists and engineers, and expanding our reach. All conference attendees are invited to join us to discuss our efforts!

Higher Education Faculty Workshop —
Sunday, March 15, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Cochran’s Crossing
Higher-education faculty will engage in discussions about the use of course management systems and social media, assessment, and innovative authentic projects. Participants will be asked to choose which topics will be of most interest and the workshop will be designed to address the most popular responses (please register by February  16 so your preferences can be taken into consideration). Registration is free and required in order to attend; please register now! For more details, please contact Dr. Sanlyn Buxner.

Scientist and Science Educator Professional Development Workshop:  Communicating with Your Audience —
Sunday, March 15, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, College Park
Experts in communicating with the public and press will present techniques for successfully engaging a variety of audiences in different formats, including press releases, classroom presentations, and public talks. Following interactive presentations, participants will work with the presenters to apply their knowledge to their own communications products and presentations. Those wishing to attend the communications workshop in the morning and the Higher Education Faculty Workshop in the afternoon are welcome to do so! Registration is free but required in order to attend; please register now! A 90-minute lunch break will be provided for lunch on your own. For additional information, please contact Christine Shupla.

E/PO Help Desk for Scientists Interested in Increasing Their Impact —
Monday, March 16, 2:30 to 5:00 p.m, Sterling Ridge
Wednesday, March 18, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m., Sterling Ridge

Scientists are invited to work one-on-one with E/PO professionals to (1) identify paths to get involved in E/PO that match available time and resources; (2) learn about ways to achieve maximum impact in E/PO undertakings; and/or (3) understand the current E/PO landscape. Recommended resources, primers for working in different learning environments, and other materials will be available. The E/PO Help Desk is free and open to all meeting attendees. For more information, please contact Jennifer Grier.