Creating a Sustainable Partnership for Internships in Public Science Education

马里兰科学中心和约翰霍普金斯大学之间提出了一项长期、可持续的合作，为科学中心的展览和节目开发基于研究的内容。虽然这项申请是为开展具体展品的工作提供资金，但这项提案的重点是在研究生实习生培训以及展品的评估、设计和实施过程中预期吸取的经验教训。这些初步经验将被用来开发一种有效的机制，以维持两所机构之间的可靠渠道，通过该机制，学生实习生将在IPSE启动资金期间努力创造以研究为基础的展品。已经制定了一个三阶段计划，以建立长期合作的基础。在第一阶段，研究生实习生将专注于三个具体的项目。这些项目将涵盖MPS的广泛学科(材料科学、天文学和粒子物理)，并将代表三个非常不同的展品创作准备水平。将为每个级别的准备工作确定一个流程，以便未来的实习生能够遵循路线图并成功协作。第一阶段的每个项目将包括一名研究生实习生与一名教职员工和科学中心的专业人员一起工作。在第二阶段，重点将转移到三个新项目上，利用收集到的关于第一阶段项目的见解。第二阶段将由现有研究补助金的公共推广预算提供资金，并将证明已经实现了可持续模式。在第三阶段(远远超过IPSE资助期)，该计划将扩大到包括本科生的实习生职位。其目的是创建一种可广泛共享的模式，以便其他机构能够从开发的过程中受益。已经制定了一项策略，将研究结果传播给四个群体：JHU研究调查人员、其他大学、其他博物馆的调查人员和K-12教师。与马里兰科学中心的初步合作被视为迈向更有意义和更大规模合作的第一步。

A long-term, sustainable collaboration is proposed between the Maryland Science Center and the Johns Hopkins University to develop research-based content for Science Center exhibits and programming. Although the request is for funding to work on specific exhibits, the thrust of this proposal focuses on the anticipated lessons learned during the training of graduate student interns, as well as the evaluation, design, and implementation of exhibits. These initial experiences will be used to develop an effective mechanism for sustaining a reliable pipeline between the two institutions, through which student interns will work to create research-based exhibits beyond the period of IPSE startup funding.A three-phase plan has been devised to create the building blocks of a long-term collaboration. In Phase 1, graduate-student interns will focus on three specific projects. These projects will cover a broad array of MPS disciplines (Materials Science, Astronomy, and Particle Physics) and will represent three very different levels of readiness for exhibit creation. A process will be identified for each of these levels of readiness, so that future interns will be able to follow a roadmap and collaborate successfully. Each project in Phase 1 will involve one graduate student intern working together with a faculty member and professionals at the Science Center. In Phase 2, focus will shift to three new projects, using the insights gathered on the Phase 1 projects. Phase 2 will be funded by public outreach budgets from existing research grants, and will demonstrate that a sustainable model has been achieved. In Phase 3 (well beyond the period of IPSE funding), the program will be expanded to include intern positions for undergraduate students.Broader Impact. The intent is to create a model that can be shared broadly so that other institutions can benefit from the process that is developed. A strategy has been devised to disseminate the results of the study to four groups: JHU research investigators, investigators at other universities, other museums, and K-12 teachers. The initial collaboration with the Maryland Science Center is viewed as a first step towards a more meaningful and larger-scale collaboration.