Ask geoscientists how their enchantment with Earth science began and chances are, the first sparks of fascination will have taken place in childhood. Whether that first experience was pocketing an interesting rock or fossil to add to a collection, or noticing the stratified layers of earth while vacationing on summer break, the foundation of many geoscientists’ careers was established at an early age.
That’s why it’s important to give young people the opportunity to light that spark.
By funding K-12 educational initiatives, the AAPG Foundation invests in the next generation of geoscientists, the educators who inspire them, the future advancement of geoscience and technology and the education of the general public.
AAPG Foundation support of K-12 educational initiatives for students and educators include:
Earth Science Week
The AAPG Foundation contributes educational toolkits to the American Geosciences Institute’s Earth Science Week, the geoscience community’s leading public awareness campaign. According to AGI, this “international event to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth sciences” reaches more than 50 million people each year and “offers opportunities to discover the Earth sciences,” as it relates to “geoscience principles and issues such as energy, climate change, the environment, natural disasters, technology, industry, agriculture and the economy.”
To learn more about Earth Science Week or to view the Earth Science Toolkit, visit EarthSciWeek.org.
Houston Museum of Natural Science
With more than half a million school children visiting last year, the Houston Museum of Natural Science is one of the most popularly attended museums in the United States. The AAPG Foundation provides financial support to educational science programing designed to introduce and engage museum visitors to scientific activities in the fields of geology, paleontology, biology, anthropology, astronomy, chemistry and physics.
Visit the Houston Museum of Natural Science website at HMNS.org.
Teachers’ Day Program
Science teachers are at the very heart of the Foundation’s K-12 educational efforts because these educators provide the springboard for the future careers of geoscientists. Each year, science teachers are invited to attend the Teachers’ Day Program at AAPG’s Annual Convention and Exhibition to explore new methods and technologies in teaching an Earth science curriculum to their students.
Teachers’ Day is an opportunity to meet other educators from around the country, to observe and practice hands-on demonstrations of classroom activities and to acquire materials designed to assist them in teaching. Teachers’ Day attendees also receive a guided tour of the convention.
To learn more about Teachers’ Day Program at the 2019 ACE, contact the AAPG Foundation at Foundation.AAPG.org/programs/k-12.cfm
Teacher of the Year Award
The prestigious Teacher of the Year Award is presented each year by the AAPG Foundation to a K-12 teacher within the United States who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of geoscience education.
The award includes a plaque and a cash prize of $6,000, half going to the TOTY recipient’s school for educational purposes under the recipient’s supervision and the other $3,000 for the recipient’s personal use.
In addition, the TOTY recipient receives an expense-paid trip for two to ACE to receive the award.
Applications for the 2019 Teacher of the Year award open on Aug. 31, 2018. For more information, visit the aforementioned Foundation website.