Zoos have been under attack by animal rights groups for decades. Despite significant reforms to improve animal welfare in accredited zoos and aquariums across North America, and significant participation in animal conservation efforts globally, these attacks persist. If zoos are to continue long-term, they need to establish themselves as community…

The purpose of this study was to understand if a STEM camp (Gear Up 4 STEM) offered during school breaks could improve science outcomes and engagement of elementary school students. This study followed two cohorts of students in Knox County Schools (grades 3, 4, and 5) over one school year and assessed their performance on the state administered…

This qualitative evaluative study explores the views of two science club advisor/educators of an active 122-member rural high school science club program that is thriving in spite of increasingly busy student schedules, decreasing school budgets, and a demanding standardized curriculum. It is essential to understand the teacher-advisors'…

Four science programs at our public urban liberal arts college have struggled to attract and retain majors: physics, environmental studies, geology, and teaching science. The Brooklyn Opportunities in Science and Careers (BOSC) program aims to increase student participation in these majors using a new career-focused strategy to recruit students.…

Describes an elective biology program offered at Lawrence High School (Kansas) that emphasizes basic field biology, ecology, conservation, camping, first aid, mountaineering, and map reading. Groups of students spend two weeks in the Rocky Mountains developing knowledge and skills in these areas. (JR)

Describes institutes and field stations available for teaching tropical marine biology. (SL)

Four middle/junior high school programs, winners in the National Science Teachers Association's Search for Excellence in Science Education are described. Programs focus on: (1) note-taking in the laboratory; (2) natural history expeditions; (3) environmental physical science (social and scientific ecological studies); and (4) use of teaching teams…

An 8-week summer institute for 32 secondary school teachers from New Hampshire and nearby states was designed to show them the activities of chemists in research and in manufacturing. Intentions were to improve their teaching skills by showing them how the chemistry that they are teaching is used in practice, thus enabling them to improve their…

Outlines the history of the educational role of the National Park Service under various leaders. Details the types of educational outreach programs that are thriving today and discusses their merits and successes. (DDR)

Describes the science activities at a school camp located in the San Bernadino mountains. Each sixth-grade student in the Long Beach, California school district attends this camp for one week. (MLH)

Over a 10-year period, California's Old Adobe Union School District has been perfecting an outdoor education program that takes sixth graders away from home for 6 days and nights of scientific and environmental study, recreational and survival skill development, and social interaction. (PGD)

This publication reports on a project designed to increase the awareness and appreciation of educators, and through them the awareness of middle and high school students, of the advantages of preparing for careers in technology and science. These are fields in which Boston high school students generally, and minority students particularly, have…

Describes a 3-day program sponsored by the Orange County Marine Institute that provides biological, cultural, and historical learning experiences. Discusses the setting and activities of the five ecosystems explored by the students. The Chaparral to Ocean Science Camp includes chaparral, riparian, woodland, intertidal, and pelagic environments.…

A phenomenological approach was used to investigate the longitudinal recollections of participants of an out-of-school science program. The experience was a field trip to the Shenandoah National Park (USA) conducted in the fall of 2004. The science topic was geologic history and features related to the Shenandoah Valley. Two major themes relating…