Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Greening STEM - Taking Technology Outdoors

Taking Technology Outdoors is a big part of National Environmental Education Week [April 14 - 23 alongside Earth Day] and they're singing my song: Citizen Sustainability!  - well almost.

Take a look at this list of kid-oriented outdoor tech tools. They are exciting apps for involving students in recording environmental data - bird migration, the presence of wildlife, and the amount of trash in nearby rivers or along the ocean. This sort of citizen science is an important awareness tool and research support tool.

I hope next year they're working toward Citizen Sustainability - where apps encourage kids [and their friends, teachers and families] to change personal behaviors and to share those changes with others. When people see the change it's a lot easier to be the change. This work is starting at the college and city level with Joulebug.

Volunteering for Pickering Creek and Blackwater
National Wildlife Refuge with funding from Toyota
for native grass materials.

And how about beyond apps? EPA has funded two cool-looking Environmental Education in Action projects. Never underestimate the power of inspiring your visitors to get outdoors and get dirty. It feeds the soul - yours and your visitors'. 

Museums can help this work leap forward -- what difference is your museum making?

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