Enhancing Natural History Museum Visitor Understanding of Evolution: A National Conference

该奖项将支持为期两年的工作，以计划和实施一个代表美国主要研究型自然历史博物馆的约30名与会者的全国会议，以考虑提高博物馆游客对进化的理解的最佳做法。 进化是生命科学的核心范式，自然历史博物馆对于理解进化的范式具有根本的重要性。 尽管如此，最近的调查表明，大多数美国公众，包括参观自然历史博物馆的游客，既不理解也不相信进化论。 将于2003年在佛罗里达自然历史博物馆举行的为期三天的会议之前，将于2002年举行一次会前规划讲习班，并综合有关理解博物馆中的演变的文献和做法。 会议将汇集首席科学家，教育和展览主任，研究和收藏主任作为一个由非正式科学教育专家专业促进的项目的参与者。 会议的结果和成果将构成该领域的“最佳做法”，并将在专业文献中发表，并通过佛罗里达博物馆网站传播。 每年有超过10，000，000名游客参观自然历史博物馆，一旦在博物馆展览和项目中实施，本次会议的结果将在未来几年对美国的科学素养产生广泛的影响。

This award will support two years of work to plan and implement a national conference of approximately 30 participants representing the major research-based natural history museums in America to consider best practices for enhancing museum visitor understanding of evolution. Evolution is the central paradigm of the life sciences, and natural history museums are of fundamental importance to an understanding of the paradigm of evolution. Despite this fact, recent surveys indicate that the majority of the American public, including visitors to natural history museums, neither understands nor believes in evolutionary theory. The three-day conference to be held at the Florida Museum of Natural History in 2003 will be preceded by a pre-conference planning workshop in 2002 and a synthesis of literature and practices pertinent to the understanding of evolution in museums. The conference will bring together chief scientists, directors of education and exhibits, and directors of research and collections as participants in a program professionally facilitated by informal science education experts. Findings and outcomes of the conference will constitute 'best practices' for the field and will be published in the professional literature and disseminated via the Florida Museum website. With more than 10,000,000 visitors to natural history museums per year, once implemented in museum exhibitions and programs the results of this conference will have a broad impact on science literacy in America for years to come.