Full-Scale Development Project: Marcellus Matters: Engaging Adults in Science and Energy (EASE)

这个全面的非正式科学教育奖侧重于物理和社会科学，围绕从宾夕法尼亚州中北部和西部的马塞勒斯页岩地层中开采天然气。该项目针对宾夕法尼亚州受影响或即将受影响地区的成年居民。这是一个复杂的项目，涉及地质学、工程学、化学、社会科学、性能和土地管理等学科。此外，该项目团队包括来自宾夕法尼亚州立大学、宾夕法尼亚州合作推广服务局和朱尼亚塔学院的物理科学家、教育工作者、戏剧艺术教师、社会科学家和工程师。提案团队为宾夕法尼亚州农村的公民提供了四个切入点，让他们了解能源，国家的需求，这些需求背后的经济学，页岩存款的地质学以及如何进行富有成效的讨论并使用科学证据做出决策。该项目将采用多种沟通机制，如论坛、社区会议、戏剧表演、数据中心、博客和研讨会。宾夕法尼亚州扩建项目将在地方一级发挥核心作用。该项目是一项复杂的工作，其中宾夕法尼亚州中北部和西部的居民将了解天然气开采的科学和政策，以及如何获得和使用科学信息进行决策。提案小组将学习如何与农村市民工作和沟通。此外，该团队将从这些活动中得出各种模型，这些模型可能适用于全国其他拥有天然气储量的地区。

This Full-Scale Informal Science Education award focuses on the physical and social science surrounding the extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus shale formation beneath the surface in north central and western Pennsylvania. The project targets the adult residents of the impacted or soon-to-be-impacted areas of Pennsylvania. This is a complex project involving the disciplines of geology, engineering, chemistry, social science, performance, and land management. Further, the project team includes a mix of physical scientists, educators, theater arts faculty, social scientists and engineers from Pennsylvania State University, the Pennsylvania State Cooperative Extension Service, and Juniata College.The project addresses several potential barriers to communication of science to the public. The proposal team provides four entry points for citizens of rural Pennsylvania to engage in learning about energy, its needs in the Nation, the economics behind these needs, the geology of the shale deposit and how to have productive discussions and make decisions using science-based evidence. The project will engage a multitude of communication mechanisms such as forums, community meetings, theater performances, data centers, blogs and workshops. The Pennsylvania State Extension will play a central role in working at the local level.The project is a complex effort wherein the residents of north central and western Pennsylvania will learn about the science and policies of natural gas extraction and how to derive and use scientific information for decision making. The proposal team will learn how to work and communicate with rural citizens. Further, the team will derive a variety of models from these activities that are likely to be adaptable for use in other areas of the Nation that have natural gas deposits.