Engaging young people in scientific research is a major goal of the ESF in the High School (ESFHS) educational outreach program and the associated National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (NSF GK-12) project. Through ESFHS, students in 26 urban, suburban and rural high schools across New York State receive college credit for enrolling in The Global Environment, a research-based course that allows students to explore a range of environmental and social issues. The NSF GK-12 project enhances this program by partnering nine graduate Fellows in thirteen “home schools,” where Fellows infuse scientific research and inquiry-based learning into the classroom primarily by guiding students in developing independent research projects. Through this process, students become active researchers as they learn how to locate and assess peer-reviewed literature, employ statistical methods, and utilize field and laboratory techniques. At the end of the year, students present their research at the Environmental Summit, a science symposium held on the ESF campus and attended by high school students, teachers, graduate students and faculty. In addition to mentoring student researchers, Fellows lead inquiry- and research-based activities called "road shows" at other high schools participating in ESFHS.
Results/Conclusions
During the 2008-09 school year, Fellows mentored 150 student research projects and engaged over 500 students through the presentation of nearly 70 “road shows.” Examples of student research projects include 1) the impact of suburbanization on the diversity and abundance of local bird populations; 2) the relation between El Niño events and snowfall in Central New York, and 3) an analysis of recyclable material in the high school waste stream. This year at the Environmental Summit at least 50 research projects from participating schools will be presented by high school students to peers, teachers, graduate students and faculty. In previous years, 65% of students from schools with dedicated Fellows completed full research projects and 21% finished partial research projects. Schools without Fellows did not complete any research projects. To facilitate the research process, the Fellows have published a comprehensive guide for high school student researchers and teachers. Ultimately, the ESFHS and the NSF GK-12 programs aim to produce scientifically literate, well-informed young adults who possess the skills required to meet society's immediate and future challenges.
