What We Do
To serve the youth of today and to help create the geoscientists of tomorrow. The members will strive to increase the knowledge and appreciation of the geosciences among students and their teachers through identifying, vetting and recommending programs. These tasks will be accomplished by supporting the Maps in Schools Program, Bones in Schools Program, the Enhancing the Quality of Earth Science Teaching Program and other programs already vetted and approved by the Committee. Members will also work to encourage communication between AAPG members involved in K-12 outreach programs, worldwide, to help focus our efforts of time and money on best practices. Using these best practices, AAPG members will offer timely and cost-effective training courses for teachers at AAPG International, national, regional, sections and local society meetings forming alliances with national and regional teachers’ associations, where appropriate. The YEA committee will manage the Earth Science Teacher of the Year award, encouraging regions, sections and local societies to nominate candidates for the competition for the Teacher of the Year award. The Committee assists and coordinates the earth science and energy programs of national youth organizations, such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and 4H.
Goals for 2013-14
- Members of the Committee, including Rebecca Dodge and Stef Paramoure will be involved in further developing the High School Earth Science program in Texas using the model developed by Chris Bolhius, 2013 AAPG Teacher of the Year.
- Further efforts will be made to develop areas of cooperation with the Geological Society of America K-12 programs.
- A strong effort will be made to expand the YEA outreach through AAPG Student Chapters, coordinated by Committee Member Richard Ball.
Historical Information