Saving Species: Socially-Networked Exhibits for Science Inquiry and Public Action

《拯救物种》将通过美国各地动物园和其他非正式科学教育机构的展品系统，吸引大量不同的公众观众参与基于探究的学习和环境管理。该展品系统将包括迈阿密大学(俄亥俄州)蜻蜓项目正在创建的70多个触摸屏互动和相关技术基础设施。项目合作伙伴包括辛辛那提动物园和植物园、布鲁克菲尔德动物园、克利夫兰大都会公园动物园、哥伦布动物园和水族馆、丹佛动物园、自由科学中心、路易斯维尔动物园、纽约州动物园、俄勒冈动物园、匹兹堡动物园、河岸动物园、圣巴巴拉动物园、谢德水族馆、托莱多动物园、野生动物园、林地公园动物园和亚特兰大动物园。触摸屏展览组件将为合作动物园的特定项目设计。该联盟的合作机构正在全国范围内建立与三个拯救物种运动之一相关的展览：1)大猿运动允许家庭对圈养类人猿种群进行研究，并通过加入经验丰富的野外研究人员的工作来帮助拯救野猿；2)野猫运动专注于濒危猫科动物物种，并允许家庭与专业人员一起参与保护工作；3)持续生命运动建立在对环境管理、可再生能源和气候变化的广泛兴趣和日益增长的展示的基础上。该联盟包括一个公共查询和公共行动工具(例如，手机回收)的共享库，以及远程监测能力，提供空间站成功的实时衡量，促进全国各地各种展品互动的发展。来自非正式科学机构的500多名工作人员通过在世界主要城市和保护地点举办的讲习班和研究生课程，参与“拯救物种”的专业发展。正式的教育机会包括由迈阿密大学和非正式科学机构共同提供的两个新的硕士学位项目：(1)高级调查项目，(2)全球实地项目。战略合作伙伴包括动物园和水族馆协会、公共电视台、国际保护协会和保护生物学学会。学习创新研究所的项目评估包括具体的评估协议，这些协议按性别、族裔和社会经济阶层确定参与模式，以便解决这些人口统计数据中的差异。规划研究和前端评估将为社交网络平台上个性化的参观后参与机会的未来发展提供信息。“拯救物种”将在全国范围内产生广泛影响，在资助期及以后每年接触到数百万参与机构的访问者，促进科学研究和公共行动之间的关系，并建立致力于维持地球上生命的多机构伙伴关系。

"Saving Species" will engage large and diverse public audiences in inquiry-based learning and environmental stewardship through a system of exhibits at zoos and other informal science education institutions throughout the U.S. The exhibit system will include more than 70 touch screen interactives and related technological infrastructure being created by Project Dragonfly at Miami University (Ohio). Project partners include the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Brookfield Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, Denver Zoo, Liberty Science Center, Louisville Zoological Garden, New York State Zoo, Oregon Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo, Riverbanks Zoo, Santa Barbara Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Toledo Zoo, The Wilds, Woodland Park Zoo, and Zoo Atlanta. Touch screen exhibit components will be designed for specific programs at partner zoos.The partner institutions in this consortium are establishing exhibits nationwide linked to one of three Saving Species campaigns: 1) the Great Ape Campaign allows families to conduct research on captive ape populations and to help save wild apes by joining the work of experienced field researchers; 2) the Wild Cat Campaign focuses on endangered cat species and allows families to join in conservation efforts along with professionals; 3) the Sustaining Life Campaign builds on widespread interest and growing exhibitry in environmental stewardship, renewable energy, and climate change. The consortium includes a shared library of public inquiry and public-action tools (e.g., cell phone recycling), as well as remote monitoring capabilities that provide real-time measures of station success, facilitating the development of variations of exhibit interactives across the country. More than 500 staff from informal science institutions are participating in "Saving Species" professional development through workshops and graduate courses in major cities and conservation sites worldwide. The formal educational opportunities include two new Master's degree programs co-delivered by Miami University and informal science institutions: (1) the Advanced Inquiry Program, and (2) the Global Field Program.Strategic partners include the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, public television, Conservation International, and the Society of Conservation Biology. Project evaluation by the Institute for Learning Innovation includes specific assessment protocols that are identifying patterns of engagement by gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic class so that disparities can be addressed across these demographics. A planning study and front-end evaluation will inform the future development of personalized, post-visit engagement opportunities on social networking platforms."Saving Species" will achieve broad impact nationally, reaching millions of visitors to the participating institutions annually during the funding period and beyond, fostering the relationship between science inquiry and public action, and building multi-institutional partnerships committed to sustaining life on our planet.