EAGER: Collaborative K-12 Outreach at the Interface between Biology and Imaging Science

该项目将建立并扩大BioBus STEM在新英格兰的外展设施。BioBus是一个非营利性的STEM外展组织，在活跃的研究机构和K-12学生之间建立联系方面有着丰富的经验。BioBus于2008年在纽约成立，现已正式扩展到新英格兰地区，并正在与大波士顿地区的大学和学校建立合作伙伴关系。新英格兰BioBus将专注于K-12的扩展，在生物学和成像科学之间的接口。哈佛大学是BioBus此次扩张的基础学术合作伙伴。这个EAGER奖项将把科学家带到波士顿地区的数十所K-12学校，为科学家提供关键的反馈，以发展他们的拓展技能，并在由BioBus员工和活跃的研究人员组成的公共活动中向社区开放科学过程。该奖项赞助的活动代表了一个独特的机会，可以促进我们对将专业科学家纳入K-12外展如何影响学生成绩的理解。首席研究员特别感兴趣的是学生的科学身份，科学事业的意识，和一般的参与。研究人员还将观察实际推广培训对参与的科学家研究员的效力和信心的影响。预计这些活动将使科学家感到有能力做更多的推广工作，并使学生对科学感到兴奋。获得高质量K-12教育水平的学生将更有能力从事STEM领域的职业。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will establish and expand the BioBus STEM outreach facility to New England. BioBus is a non-profit STEM outreach organization with experience building connections between active research institutions and K-12 students. Founded in New York in 2008, BioBus has now formally expanded to New England and is building partnerships with universities and schools across greater Boston. The New England BioBus will focus in K-12 outreach at the interface between biology and imaging science. Harvard is a foundational academic partner for BioBus in this expansion. This EAGER award will bring scientists to dozens of K-12 schools across the Boston area, provide scientists with critical feedback for developing their outreach skills, and open the scientific process to the community during public events staffed by BioBus staff and active research fellows.The activities sponsored by this award represent a unique opportunity to advance our understanding of how incorporating professional scientists into K-12 outreach can impact student outcomes. The Principal Investigator is particularly interested in student scientific identity, awareness of scientific careers, and general engagement. The investigators will also observe the impact that practical outreach training has on the efficacy and confidence of the scientist fellows participating. It is anticipated that these activities will lead to scientists that feel empowered to do more outreach and students that are excited to do science. Students with access to quality K-12 education level will be better equipped to pursue careers in STEM.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.