Research Educator Exchange Forum (REEF)

The first Research Educator Exchange Forum (REEF) took place on July 20-22, 2011 at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, SC. REEF is a professional development workshop for scientists where they learn about strategies for communicating science and broader impacts activities and successful techniques for working with the media, educators and informal science centers. Teams of early-career marine scientists, educators and media specialists were invited to create preliminary communities of practice focused on communicating science. The teams came from UGA and UGA Marine Institute on Sapelo Island, USC, and UNC CH and UNC CH Institute of Marine Science.

As a capstone experience, each scientist was challenged to develop and deliver an outreach program at a local informal science center by early next spring. Program plans varied from cart programs to lectures to a scientist fair for teachers. These programs will provide each scientist with a mentored outreach experience and an impetus to maintain contact with his or her community of practice.

REEF outcomes to be assessed include: (1) scientists improve and hone their communication skills, develop a cadre of contacts, identify BI opportunities, and share most effective practices with the REEF communities and colleagues; (2) educators gain insight about research careers and the nature of science, reflect on their teaching styles, share most effective communication practices; and, (3) all participants benefit professionally from participating in a community of practice focused on communicating ocean sciences.

Participants (PDF, 18 KB)
Agenda (DOCX, 13 KB)

REEF Poster (PDF, 610 KB)
Presented at the 2011 COSEE Council Meeting in Washington, D.C.

REEF EVENTS

• North Carolina:
• Informal Program and Demonstration, Density & Current, August 2011, NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
• Informal Program, Climate Change & Coral Reefs, TBD, Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium
• Public Event, Meet the Scientist, TBD, Morehead Planetarium

• South Carolina:
• Public Event, Science in Action-Night at the Museum, February 16, 2012 at the SC State Museum

• Georgia:
• Informal Program and Field Experience, Squareback Crabs, September 29, 2011 at the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR)
• Informal Program and Field Experience, Coastal Benthic Organisms, January, 2012 at SINERR
• Formal Classroom Program, Marine Chemistry, February 2012 at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center