Community Science Project

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The Community Science Project is an effort to improve science education by broadening the participation of community elements in the educational process. Parents, business-industry, Chambers of Commerce, museum (and related institutions), professional and trade associations, universities, community colleges, and trade and technical schools need to expand their involvement in the total educational process, and work out strategies for sharing science education obligations and benefits. Because the resources are already in place, the project hopes to demonstrate how major changes can be effected without necessitating significant increases in educational costs. In a stepwise fashion, the project will implement and document a self-sustaining model for broadening educational representation and participation; exploiting underutilized community resources; encouraging two-way, non-altruistic interactions; and upgrading community awareness, knowledge, capabilities and attitudes in science/society/ technology areas. The plan involves identifying sectors/organizations within Howard County that could or should be involved with science education. These groups will be contacted and their potential contributions to science education, and any needs they have that schools or other community sectors could satisfy, will be identified and documented. Needs and contributions will be matched and the Principal Investigator will arrange meetings between relevant groups, facilitate interactions, and provide technical assistance where necessary. Follow-up meetings with all sectors/organiza-tions will be arranged to determine what they have done in science education, and needs and resources lists will again be generated. The overall process of developing lists of needs and resources, matching lists, and facilitating the resulting community interactions will be continued. The program will be expanded in a stepwise fashion and will involve a grassroots effort. The staff, working out of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce, will be responsible for identifying and recruiting experts in the community, utilizing their expertise in the most cost-effective manner, documenting meticulously the interactions established, and assisting the county to develop its own strategies for maintaining the program without external funding.