Partnership for Science Literacy
In 2003, AAAS launched the Partnership
for Science Literacy, an initiative to increase public awareness—particularly
among parents, families, and caregivers of Latino/Hispanic,
African American, and other minority and underserved students—of
the value and importance of science literacy for their children’s
future. This initiative provides information and resources
to help them find out more about science and also about
the kind of science education that will help all children
learn.
The Partnership,
a joint project of AAAS (through its Project 2061 and Education
and Human Resources directorates) and TryScience.org, was
launched with funding from the National Science Foundation.
The initiative is built around four key messages:
- Science education is for every child.
- Science is around you in your life every day.
- Parents and families can make a huge difference in their
children’s science education.
- Science is a lot of fun!
With its theme
of “Science. It’s Everywhere,” the Partnership
reaches out to parents through a Web
site, a free Family
Guide to Science, and public
service announcements, all available in English and
Spanish.
The Partnership’s
Web site at www.ScienceEverywhere.org
includes:
- Brief articles on topics like "Why Science Matters,"
"Science in Schools," and "Be Involved"
- Questions parents can ask their schools
- Information on national and local science and mathematics
education standards
- Fun hands-on science activities
- Tips on how to make the most of a visit to a science
center or museum
- Resources for teachers
- Links to education-related organizations, government
agencies, and science museums around the world
- Recommended science books for kids
While the Partnership is national
in scope, it is also anchored in local communities: Austin,
TX; Chicago, IL; Lehigh Valley, PA; Los Angeles, CA; and
Tampa, FL. These partners host science events for the public
and distribute local versions of the Family Guide to
Science that include detailed listings of resources
in their communities. Additional communities have joined
the Partnership, providing online versions of the Family
Guide to Science unique to their neighborhoods—check
the Web site for information on science resources in and
around Akron, OH; Albuquerque, NM; Alexandria, VA; Ann Arbor,
MI; Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Boston, MA; Dayton, OH;
Detroit, MI; Fort Wayne, IN; Houston, TX; Jacksonville,
FL; Louisville, KY; Milwaukee; WI; Pittsburgh, PA; Portland,
OR; Sacramento, CA; St. Louis, MO; Seatlle, WA; Springfield,
MO; and Triad Region, NC. Note: all guides are PDF files.
Connecting
Learning and Fun
In 2005, the Partnership
built on its previous outreach efforts with new brochures
that show how activities at local science centers, parks,
zoos, and museums relate to the learning goals that states
expect children to achieve. The five key partner sites distributed
the brochures at their spring 2005 family science events
and continue to use them in educational programming for
families.
- Austin, TX: English, Spanish
- Chicago, IL: English, Spanish
- Lehigh Valley, PA: English, Spanish
- Los Angeles, CA: English, Spanish
- Tampa, FL: English, Spanish
View the Research Presentation
The Partnership for Science Literacy began its
work by researching, via focus groups and telephone surveys,
parents' perceptions of science education. Survey data highlights
are available in a Fall 2001
presentation (PDF, 368 KB) by the research firm, Global
Strategy Group, Inc.
