Scientific American: 1,000 Scientists in 1,000 Days

This looks interesting. In Scientific American we read Calling All Scientists. It says, with bold font added by us:

A report by the National Academies, which advises our country on science and technology, last fall found that the U.S. ranks 27 out of 29 wealthy countries in proportion of college students with degrees in science or engineering. It called on federal and state governments to improve teaching in math and science by targeting early childhood education, the public-school curriculum for both, and by supporting teacher training in crucial subjects.

1,000 Scientists in 1,000 Days, a program that Scientific American is now launching as part of its Change the Equation initiatives with our parent Nature Publishing Group, aims to help with all of those goals by making it easier for scientists and teachers to connect. The idea is simple. We seek scientists who are willing to volunteer to advise on curricula, answer a classroom’s questions, or visit a school — for instance, to do a lab or to talk about what you do. How much you choose to participate will be up to you.

They don’t say much more about the program, but there’s an article about it in Nature: Those who can, which says, with bold font added by us:

What can scientist volunteers do? Perhaps they could spend an hour in a local classroom or school auditorium talking about a typical day in the lab — thereby helping to demystify the world of science for children. They could give a local school board advice about curricula or specific research areas. They might simply answer questions by e-mail, teleconference or Skype. How scientists participate, and how frequently, will be up to them. By the beginning of the new school year, around September, Scientific American will be able to connect educators with experts.

There’s lots more information there. If you’re interested, click over to Nature and check it out. Maybe you can make a difference. Every little bit helps.

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4 responses to “Scientific American: 1,000 Scientists in 1,000 Days

  1. Will they let “Manager” types get involved of they have a strong engineering and science background?

  2. My biggest advice to students: if you’re torn between science and something else as a career, do the other thing.

  3. James F says:

    if you’re torn between science and something else as a career, do the other thing.

    Interesting. But I donno if that’s always best.

  4. I’ve been an engineer for 21 years and I’ve not regretted it. Therefore, I’m going to disagree with James F. I’d have to ask his specifics as to why he doesn’t recommend a career in a scientific field.