 Proposal to Install Science on a Sphere at National Estuarine Research Reserves NERRA submitted a grant proposal in April 2010 for a multi-year project to increase the ability of NERRA’s members, the 27 National Estuarine Research Reserves, to provide informal education opportunities for (a) children with an initial emphasis on ages 10-14, and (b) adult active-learning audiences. The proposal includes three areas of investment: (1) installing SOS for the South Slough and Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves (reserves) and collaborating with the Mission-Aransas reserve (which plans to install SOS with other funding); (2) constructing a portable SOS for use by the reserve system, and (3) developing content for SOS and mobile devices that expands the use of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-funded long-term monitoring data and educational videos.
SOS is a key component of NOAA’s strategy to use technology to improve environmental understanding and literacy. With approximately 40 installations, SOS has demonstrated its value to NOAA, other federal agencies, and dozens of museums and visitors centers. NERRA has chosen to focus on SOS-related investments because the technology is time-tested and shows successful results. The SOS Users Network is a vibrant resource providing access to content relevant to our estuaries, and connectivity to other national educational facilities. In addition, the SOS platform is an excellent vehicle for relating a “global to local” storyline that reinforces climate and ocean or estuary literacy concepts.
The proposal meets key objectives for NERRA and NOAA. For instance, NERRA’s strategic plan identifies increasing estuarine and coastal literacy as a key objective for the association. NOAA’s education strategic plan sets a broad goal for environmental literacy: an environmentally literate public supported by a continuum of lifelong formal and informal education and outreach opportunities in ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, weather, and climate sciences.
NERRA proposes to conduct this project in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Technology Outreach Branch (TOB), the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, the NERRA Centralized Data Management Office, several universities and small businesses, and the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery which is a SOS Network member. The association expects to hear about project funding in late Summer 2010.
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