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

该项目将建立并扩展BioBus STEM扩展设施至新英格兰。BioBus是一个非营利性的STEM推广组织，在积极的研究机构和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，现在已正式扩展到新英格兰，并正在与大波士顿地区的大学和学校建立合作伙伴关系。新英格兰生物巴士将专注于生物学和成像科学之间的K-12扩展。哈佛大学是BioBus在这一扩张过程中的基础性学术合作伙伴。这一热切的奖项将把科学家带到波士顿地区数十所K-12学校，为科学家提供关键的反馈，以发展他们的推广技能，并在BioBus工作人员和活跃的研究人员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着一个独特的机会，以促进我们对将专业科学家纳入K-12推广如何影响学生结果的理解。首席调查员对学生的科学认同感、对科学事业的认识和广泛的参与特别感兴趣。调查人员还将观察实际外展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进行更多的推广，学生将对从事科学感到兴奋。有机会获得高质量K-12教育水平的学生将更好地为在STEM中追求职业生涯做准备。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.