Alexandria, VA – The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is pleased to announce its intention to launch a new initiative to address the critical need of increasing geoscience literacy. AGI's new Center for Geoscience Education and Public Understanding will serve as a centralized 'go to' hub for essential geoscience educational material, current information on geoscience topics, new educational tools, and a home for Geoscience Critical Issue Forums to define the state of the science knowledge on key topics relevant to society.
Building upon AGI's current programmatic pillars and through a major thrust to enhance collaboration across AGI member societies and the entire geoscience community, the Center for Geoscience Education and Public Understanding is poised to project the importance of geoscience literacy to the forefront of the educational system at all levels. The Center will serve not only as an advocate for increased Earth science teaching and assessment standards, but also as a central clearinghouse for cutting-edge educational tools. As part of its development, The Center will be constantly updating geoscience content and delivery using the latest in technology to better inform the public, the geoscience community, and decision makers. In addition, the Center will help to ensure a sustained flow of talented and knowledgeable future geoscientists through targeted career counseling, mentoring, and professional retention programs.
The Center will for the first time provide the geoscience community with the critical strategic intelligence needed to sustain the broadening of awareness throughout all corners of society. Today, more than ever, an informed geoscience public is needed as society grapples with geoscience issues that affect their lives on a routine basis. AGI will be launching a new website with detailed information about the Center and opportunities for partnerships in the early fall of 2012. AGI and its Foundation are actively working with interested donor investors to meet the funding requirements for the Center.
With its diverse member societies and over 250,000 geoscientists, AGI is uniquely positioned to further this critical initiative. Additionally, the Center provides a bold step toward realizing AGI's long- term vision of becoming the global geosciences link between the public, educators, students, policymakers, the geoscience profession, and its member societies.
The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of 50 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.