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USC College Receives Largest Edison Education Grant Ever; Grant Enables Students to Develop Science Lesson Plans, Teachers Enables Students to Develop Science Lesson Plans, Teachers to Expand Science Teaching Techniques

Posted on: Thursday, 13 July 2006, 18:00 CDT

The USC College of Letters, Arts & Science and Edison International have a creative solution to the crisis in K-12 science education -- let the students write the lesson plans.

The Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, which is a unit of USC College, has received the single largest education grant ever awarded by Edison International.

The $1 million grant launches a partnership between USC College and Edison International to enhance K-12 science education by using the ocean, energy and environmental sciences to engage students and teachers.

"For the United States to remain globally competitive in math and science, we need to attract more young people to science," said Peter Starr, dean of USC College. "The re-animation of K-12 math and science education plays a fundamental role in this endeavor.

"The Edison Challenge is the type of innovative solution that is made possible when the corporate sector and academia combine their resources to address important societal issues. The partnership between Edison International and USC College is a perfect match of expertise and a model for other corporations and universities to follow," said Starr.

The grant will support the USC Wrigley Institute's creation of the Edison Challenge, a multi-faceted, innovative competition that combines cooperative student learning techniques with teacher professional development.

"With hundreds of engineers, technicians, scientists, and plenty of other 'technical types' in its work force, Edison definitely recognizes the importance of math and science in our society," said Richard Rosenblum, senior vice president of generation and chief nuclear officer for Southern California Edison, a subsidiary of Edison International. "Getting students interested in those subjects can be the first step in building a skilled work force."

Student-teacher teams will develop community service projects based on science lesson plans. High school student teams will also create a research project proposal. Teams will then write a report/portfolio about their Edison Challenge project and develop a presentation (poster, computer-generated, video or multimedia) about the project.

Participating teachers will be invited to take part in workshops that will help them develop the content knowledge and skills to enhance science teaching in their classroom.

The Edison Challenge is based on a similar and successful competition, the QuikSCience Challenge, which the USC Wrigley Institute created three years ago with a grant from Quiksilver, the Huntington Beach-based designer and seller of surf and beach apparel.

"The Edison Challenge expands on that proven idea by providing science teachers with top-tier professional development from the USC Wrigley Institute," said Tony Michaels, director of the USC Wrigley Institute and professor of biological sciences. "The result will be science lessons and teaching techniques that make learning easier and encourage the development of a new generation of scientists."

"This program offers students a chance to become engaged in environmental studies and work," said Barbara J. Parsky, vice president of corporate communications for Edison International and Southern California Edison. "Global warming, air and water quality, and waste reduction have never been more important issues for our societies."

Schools within Southern California Edison's service area will be invited to participate in the program. The Edison Challenge will register middle and high school teams in separate competitions. Multiple teams from one school may register, with a team consisting of six students and one teacher/mentor. All team participants must be enrolled at the same school, but students do not need to be in the same grade.

The projects must focus on one or more of the following topics:

-- Energy transfer (through wind, ocean currents, or water cycle)

-- Energy conservation and energy efficiency (for residential, commercial or industrial users, water conservation, land conservation, recycling, or waste management)

-- Environmental protection and sustainability (habitat or endangered species protection, watershed management, global warming)

-- Renewable energy resources (hydroelectric, natural gas, solar, wind, nuclear)

-- Air and water quality (compliance and stewardship, environmental justice, traffic congestion management)

-- Alternative transportation (electric, biodiesel, alternative fuels)

Teams must be registered by October 20, 2006, to participate. Final projects are due in early February 2007, with winners to be announced in March 2007. The first- and second-place teams from each group will be awarded a field-study expedition that will take place in May 2007.

USC College is the university's primary center for research in the basic sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is the largest of USC's 19 academic schools. Home to more than 30 academic departments, it teaches more than 10,000 undergraduate students each year and has graduate students enrolled in more than 20 Ph.D. programs.

The USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, a unit of the College, is home to all of USC's marine and environmental science research. It serves as the environmental headquarters for the university.

Rosemead, Calif.-based Edison International (NYSE:EIX) is an electric power generator and distributor, and an investor in infrastructure and renewable energy projects with assets totaling almost $35 billion. The company is comprised of a regulated utility, Southern California Edison (SCE) and an unregulated group of business units, Edison Mission Group (EMG). The California Public Utilities Commission does not regulate the terms of EMG's products and services.

Source: Business Wire

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