A Model for Enhancing Public Awareness through Collaborative Education Programs

This paper/presentation will focus on the individual and collective efforts and professional responsibilities of the LIT members, the collaborative work of this team, which is an example of the “sum of the whole exceeds the sum of the parts.” The Philadelphia Region LIT is comprised of LIT Leader John Moore, Teacher of Environmental Studies, Burlington County Institute of Technology; Jon Nese, Chief Meteorologist of the Franklin Institute and member on the Board on School and Popular Meteorological and Oceanographic Education, Kathy Orr, Broadcast Meteorologist, NBC10; and Robert Wanton, Meteorologist, National Weather Service Mt. Holly Office.

At the Franklin Institute, Dr. Jon Nese enhances public awareness through interactive museum exhibits, maintaining weather observations, and presentations to visitors (especially school groups) throughout the year. In addition and in conjunction with the Broadcast Meteorologists of the “EarthWatch Team” (NBC10), Jon is joined for presentations at the museum each Wednesday. NBC10 has demonstrated a strong commitment to enhancing public awareness. Channel 10 hosts the local “WeatherNet” with over 60 schools now on-line. Through this program, schools, teachers and students are highlighted on all broadcasts. Through the AWS system, the public, teachers and students can access real-time data over the Internet. Schools participating in the WeatherNet can access not only real-time data, but also historical local meteorological data enhancing the study of weather “as it happens”. With the assistance of Kathy Orr, NBC10’s website hosts a project developed with GLOBE Teacher Trainer and AMS AERA John Moore. The new program provides a forum for trained GLOBE teachers and students throughout the region to make and report atmospheric observations to the NBC10 website, creating a observation network. This is of particular value in severe weather, and during winter storms where conditions vary greatly throughout our region, and there are no electronic means to observe and report such data. The data then is forwarded to the local National Weather Service Forecast Office for their advisement. This project has the support of the Mt. Holly NWSFO, NBC10, and the GLOBE Program. Robert Wanton is the Educational Outreach Director for the Mt. Holly NWSFO. Each year Bob speaks to school and civic groups on a variety of topics including severe weather awareness/safety, careers in Meteorology, and demonstrates meteorological concepts and principles. This year Bob has completed 85 presentations and since 1985 has spoken to over 60,000 people. John Moore is a Teacher of Environmental Studies at the Burlington County Institute of Technology. The Environmental Studies Program is a Career Major, in a vocational technical setting, that focuses on project –based learning, and applications of real-time data. In addition John is a Co-PI on a NASA Earth Systems Science Education grant for pre-service teachers. The result has been an exchange of ideas and curriculum enhancement throughout the Delaware Valley. Often teachers have sought continued professional develop or conducted professional development workshops themselves. The end result being, and enhancement of atmospheric and oceanic awareness. We believe that this is a successful model that can be duplicated nationally and/or even internationally.