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

该项目将建立并扩大BioBus STEM外展设施到新英格兰。BioBus是一个非营利性的STEM外展组织，拥有在活跃的研究机构和K-12学生之间建立联系的经验。BioBus于2008年成立于纽约，现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关系。新英格兰生物巴士将集中在K-12外展在生物学和成像科学之间的接口。哈佛是BioBus在这一扩张中的基础学术合作伙伴。这个EAGER奖将把科学家带到波士顿地区的几十所K-12学校，为科学家提供发展他们的推广技能的关键反馈，并在公共活动期间向社区开放科学过程，由BioBus工作人员和活跃的研究人员担任工作人员。该奖项赞助的活动代表了一个独特的机会，以促进我们对如何将专业科学家纳入K-12外展可以影响学生的成果。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。调查人员还将观察实际外联培训对参加培训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，并使学生对从事科学工作感到兴奋。获得优质K-12教育水平的学生将更好地从事STEM职业。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并且通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响力审查标准进行评估，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.