ScienceCharity Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 (edited) Hey There Scientists, Curious Individuals, and Science Fans,I think this is one of the best place to post this in. I don't think there are many other place on the internet that match this forum for the raw amount of passion for science. As the title says I would like to start a non-profit that is focused, initially, on scientific literacy for teenagers in the U.S.A.Science has always been a hobby, passion, and way of life for me. As a child I watched every episode of shows Bill Nye the Science Guy and Beekman's world. As an adult I live on science documentaries. I would like to help kindle that passion and interests in others. I think the best way to do that is through the creation of a 501.3© non-profit organization dedicated to this cause.The results from the 2013 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that teenagers in the U.S. slipped from 20th to 24th in science since 2009, and down from 15th since 2000, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, which gathers and analyzes the data in the U.S. This is lower than countries such as Viet Nam and the Czech Republic. Particularly in today’s quest for knowledge based economies, science, technology and engineering are the basic prerequisites for success. It's time that we help reverse this downward trend, both so our teenagers feel the glee and excitement from learning about how the world works, and for the future of the economy. I would like your help in doing so. This plan is the initial goal the organization hopes to achieve. Further projects will be developed beyond this goal. I've spoken to several people in the education field (some of my family members are teachers, actually) and they all say that the current science curriculum doesn't click with the students who are receiving it. The plan is to bring together the skills of education professionals as well as child and young adult psychologists to develop interesting and captivating scientific lesson plans for grades 6 through 12. Young people today don't see the relationship between science and their daily lives. This initial project hopes to change that by providing teachers and other educational professionals the highly effective materials they need to not only teach science, but captivate young minds on the subject of science itself. The goal is to foster critical scientific literacy that will result in children being more perceptive about the world around them and better at making decisions about that world by including a critical/scientific thought process. I plan to collect the initial funding for this through a crowed funding campaign. I'm currently in the process of putting together a team to make this vision a reality. We're going to need people good at copy, science consultants, maybe a graphic designer, and more. If you would like to volunteer for something like this and feel like you have some skills you can contribute please feel free to send me a message here or reply to this post. Thank you for reading and I look forward to your responses. Edited October 27, 2014 by ScienceCharity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unity+ Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Hey There Scientists, Curious Individuals, and Science Fans, I think this is one of the best place to post this in. I don't think there are many other place on the internet that match this forum for the raw amount of passion for science. As the title says I would like to start a non-profit that is focused, initially, on scientific literacy for teenagers in the U.S.A. Science has always been a hobby, passion, and way of life for me. As a child I watched every episode of shows Bill Nye the Science Guy and Beekman's world. As an adult I live on science documentaries. I would like to help kindle that passion and interests in others. I think the best way to do that is through the creation of a 501.3© non-profit organization dedicated to this cause. The results from the 2013 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that teenagers in the U.S. slipped from 20th to 24th in science since 2009, and down from 15th since 2000, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, which gathers and analyzes the data in the U.S. This is lower than countries such as Viet Nam and the Czech Republic. Particularly in today’s quest for knowledge based economies, science, technology and engineering are the basic prerequisites for success. It's time that we help reverse this downward trend, both so our teenagers feel the glee and excitement from learning about how the world works, and for the future of the economy. I would like your help in doing so. I'm currently in the process of putting together a team to make this vision a reality. We're going to need people good at copy, science consultants, maybe a graphic designer, and more. If you would like to volunteer for something like this and feel like you have some skills you can contribute please feel free to send me a message here or reply to this forum post. Thank you for reading and I look forward to your responses. http://www.scientificliteracy.org/aboutus.htm To educate, support and promote scientific literacy, defined as "the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision-making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity" (National Science Education Standards, National Academy of Sciences). Description of the Foundation The formation of the Foundation for Scientific Literacy resulted from the personal passion of its founder, Teresa Larsen, Ph.D. Dr. Larsen has made it her life's work to communicate science accurately and understandably to lay and technical audiences. Recognizing the importance of communicating scientific principles and advances, and how her work had all along supported scientific literacy, she took the initiative to create an educational organization dedicated to making science accessible to all Americans. The primary objectives and purposes of the Foundation: (a) Create curriculum and curriculum supplements for educational venues; (b) Educate and counsel individuals and organizations to effectively utilize science and technology to improve their lives and businesses; © Assist and counsel individuals and organizations, including the entertainment industry, the news media, the legal system, and scientists, in relating to the public accurate and easy-to-understand scientific concepts, techniques and advances; (d) Create and support a public forum for the discussion of scientific literacy; (e) Promote awareness of the value of scientific literacy through public campaigns and fund-raisers; (f) Sponsor young, underprivileged students pursuing careers in science and technology; (g) Identify and create other activities that encourage and expand scientific literacy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScienceCharity Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 (edited) http://www.scientificliteracy.org/aboutus.htm I'm complete aware of the FSL, and that it's headed by Mr. Hawking himself, however the FSL is dead. They haven't done anything since since 2010. They haven't updated their website, participated in any fundraising activities, or even sent out a newsletter in a very long while. It looks like it was a pet project which was lost in the busy schedules of the board members 5 years ago. Look: http://i.imgur.com/ZezRcx8.png Plus the focus of the FSL is quite different from the vision I have in mind for the organization which I am hoping to build. It's time for something new, it's time for something that takes advantage of modern fundraising techniques and uses modern forms of communication (social media). The goals may be slightly similar, but the methodologies, team, and means will be extraordinarily different. The organization I am hoping to create is aimed at a different audiance as well. Comparing the FSL to what I am hoping to achieve is like comparing apples to oranges. Edited October 27, 2014 by ScienceCharity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unity+ Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 I'm complete aware of the FSL, and that it's headed by Mr. Hawking himself, however the FSL is dead. They haven't done anything since since 2010. They haven't updated their website, participated in any fundraising activities, or even sent out a newsletter in a very long while. It looks like it was a pet project which was lost in the busy schedules of the board members 5 years ago. Look: http://i.imgur.com/ZezRcx8.png Plus the focus of the FSL is quite different from the vision I have in mind for the organization which I am hoping to build. It's time for something new, it's time for something that takes advantage of modern fundraising techniques and uses modern forms of communication (social media). The goals may be slightly similar, but the methodologies, team, and means will be extraordinarily different. The organization I am hoping to create is aimed at a different audiance as well. Comparing the FSL to what I am hoping to achieve is like comparing apples to oranges. I apologize. I interpreted the mission statements as being similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScienceCharity Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 I apologize. I should have outlined this in the post. This plan is the initial goal the organization hopes to achieve. Further projects will be developed beyond this goal. I've spoken to several people in the education field (some of my family members are teachers, actually) and they all say that the current science curriculum doesn't click with the students who are receiving it. The plan is to bring together the skills of education professionals as well as child and young adult psychologists to develop interesting and captivating scientific lesson plans for grades 6 through 12. Young people today don't see the relationship between science and their daily lives. This initial project hopes to change that by providing teachers and other educational professionals the highly effective materials they need to not only teach science, but captivate young minds on the subject of science itself. The goal is to foster critical scientific literacy that will result in children being more perceptive about the world around them and better at making decisions about that world by including a critical/scientific thought process. I plan to collect the initial funding for this through a crowed funding campaign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 ! Moderator Note According to a report via the OP, the project has been canceled, so I'm closing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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