This week Earthwatch Institute announced the names of 77 high school students from 34 states that have been selected from a pool of over 600 applicants to join this summer's Student Challenge Awards Program. Students will participate in field research expeditions that range in discipline from astrophysics to microbiology and span the North American continent and the Caribbean. The program aims to expand the potential of high school students and to stimulate their curiosity about science and technology.
This summer, teams of 6 to 8 award winners will spend up to three weeks on one of ten research projects. The research and other project activities developed by the Principal Investigators expose students to important scientific questions and methodologies. Students are engaged in exciting hands-on learning as Merideth Dowling from Atlanta, Georgia experienced on the Oregon Woodland & Wetland project in 2002: "The research projects I'd done in school often were repeating steps to a discovery made by someone else many years ago. On my Earthwatch project in Oregon, I learned how different research is when the information is new and when I know that the data I collect is important and will be used to affect the way people understand and manage ecosystems."
The Student Challenge Awards Program has broad personal and educational benefits for the awardees. Impacts on the students range from heightened self-confidence and interpersonal skills to enhanced scientific knowledge and interest in career paths that may have not been previously considered. Most importantly, the program demystifies science and reflects the role of creativity and imagination in research.
The awards cover all travel and field costs. In order to apply for this program, students sixteen and over must be nominated by a teacher. A strong background in science is not required. For more information regarding this program and details about teacher fellowships and volunteer opportunities; please visit www.earthwatch.org or call 800-776-0188. Earthwatch Institute is a nonprofit organization founded in 1971. Earthwatch engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Earthwatch will field over 3,500 volunteers and support at least 100 field research projects in 2003.
To view a complete list of the 2003 award winners, click here
Earthwatch Institute is an international nonprofit organization which supports scientific field research worldwide by offering members of the public unique opportunities to work alongside leading field scientists and researchers. The Institute's mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.