Tapping into the resources of a scientific field campaign to develop education and outreach materials

NCAR's Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) Education and Outreach (E&O) program has increased its efforts over the last few years to design and implement programs that enhance the visibility and outreach of field campaigns that use NSF/NCAR observing facilities (i.e. G-V, C-130, Sounding Systems and Radar Networks). In-situ and real time data collected and analyzed during these field experiments are used to design E&O products with the aim of reaching out to universities, colleges, K-12 schools and the general public to showcase the scientific goals of field deployments. The ultimate goal is to encourage students of all ages and backgrounds to get excited about atmospheric sciences. E&O efforts include online presence through project specific websites, informational and science videos, social networking sites, printed material and outreach events. All material is created around the scientific questions specific to the campaign, taking advantage of the scientific and support personnel involved in the experiment. The main objective is to allow students and the public to develop a direct connection to the scientists participating in field deployments around the world, to explore new concepts, and to search for additional information. Several E&O programs developed at EOL will be presented, highlighting the field project, the products generated and the lessons learned.