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Science Generation: A National Imperative

Posted on: Monday, 21 April 2008, 15:00 CDT

NEW YORK, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- An eminent group of nationally recognized leaders in education, business, philanthropy, science, media, and government gathered recently for the dynamic Science Generation: A National Imperative summit at the American Museum of Natural History to expand and accelerate action to remedy America's science education crisis. The 37 speakers, who represented a wide variety of sectors, from the President of the Federal Reserve of New York, to a middle-school science teacher from New York City, agreed on the need for national science education goals and standards, improving science teaching and learning through the partnership of science- rich cultural institutions (museums, botanical gardens, zoos, and science centers) with schools, and a re-energized family base that is motivated to embrace science.

Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History, which sponsored the Science Generation summit, set the stage in her address by saying, "We are in real danger in this country of getting used to the public not understanding science, our students continuing to have poor achievement in science, and our competitiveness in a global society continuing to erode. Yet, in this vital area, we simply do not have the luxury of 'getting used to it.' The consequences for our children, our society, our future competitiveness and position in the world, indeed for our planet, are unimaginably serious."

Congressman Bart Gordon (D, TN), Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology, strongly urged bipartisan support for funding of the America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science) Act, which calls for an infusion of funds to support national research and development efforts along with significant teacher training in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) areas.

Former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt, a 30-year veteran of education reform efforts at the national and state levels, called for an end to the ongoing debate over national standards by engaging governors and state education chiefs to arrive at a consensus around a set of "common standards" at a world-competitive level to which states would subscribe. This theme and the urgency of making it happen, carried throughout the proceedings.

In a session moderated by NBC's Tom Brokaw and Frank Luntz, a dozen students from the World Journalism Preparatory School in Queens (a public middle school) and their parents emphasized the importance of parent involvement and the role of museums in capturing their attention and nurturing their fascination with science. Many of the students agreed that weekend trips to various New York cultural institutions broadened their interest in science topics that may or may not have been covered in the classroom.

A number of promising programs across the country that demonstrated success in improving science education were singled out, including:

-- The Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative -- Ohio's STEM Learning Network -- Boston Museum of Science's "Engineering Is Elementary" Curriculum -- New York's Urban Advantage Consortium (being replicated in Chicago, Miami, and Denver), which brings the resources of eight science-rich cultural institutions to bear on science teaching and learning in the schools-a public-private partnership with the New York City Department of Education.

More than 300 attendees from 28 states, representing science centers, education policy institutes, school districts, government agencies, and parents and students, agreed that America needed to move forward on a number of fronts to improve science education. Consensus was reached on several key areas:

-- The need for national, or "common," standards to achieve excellence and equity -- Recognition of the need for cross-sector, cooperative action -- Identification of promising, effective practices that can be brought to scale -- Potential for greater impact for students if science-rich institutions work more closely in formal K-12 education -- The urgent need for leadership and advocacy especially regarding fully funding and implementing the America COMPETES Act -- And the need to engage parents and students to understand the imperative of educating a "science generation." About Science Generation: A National Imperative

Science Generation: A National Imperative, took place on April 8 and 9, 2008, at the American Museum of Natural History. The summit sought to find new ways to jump-start and accelerate cross-sector efforts to improve science education and science literacy in America.

Speakers at the summit included Stephanie Bell-Rose, President, The Goldman Sachs Foundation; Tom Brokaw, NBC News; Shakira Brown, middle-school science teacher, Promise Academy, Harlem; Robert Corcoran, President, GE Foundation; Dr. Rudolph Crew, Superintendent, Miami-Dade County Public Schools; The Honorable Bart Gordon, Chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee; Dr. Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York; Robert Hormats, Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs; Joel Klein, Chancellor, New York City Board of Education; Dr. Cora Marrett, Assistant Director, Education and Human Resources, NSF; Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, American Museum of Natural History; and Becca Robison, Founder, Astrotots.

The American Museum of Natural History gratefully acknowledges support for this event from presenting sponsor The Goldman Sachs Foundation and from principal sponsors Carnegie Corporation of New York and the GE Foundation, as well as additional support from Shell Oil Company.

Other key partners in the development of this summit were NASA, NOAA, the National Science Foundation, the New York City Department of Education, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Teachers Association, and the Council of the Great City Schools.

The American Museum of Natural History

CONTACT: Michael Walker of The American Museum of Natural History,+1-212-769-5766, walker@amnh.org; or Bibb Hubbard of Widmeyer Communicationsfor The American Museum of Natural History, +1-212-260-3401

Source: PRNewswire

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