Education & Outreach

Transforming Education in Plant Biology (TEPB)- Request for Proposals

In the United States, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other stakeholders have called for transformation in undergraduate biology education via the Vision and Change report.  The core message of the Vision and Change initiative is a focus on student-centered learning with students as active participants.  Some … Read moreTransforming Education in Plant Biology (TEPB)- Request for Proposals

Plant scientists call for renewed focus on empowerment of trainees

Preparing graduate students and postdocs for diverse careers Changes in the workforce are challenging academia to prepare scientists to be adaptable and adept at communicating across boundaries. To meet these demands, the Plant Science Research Network (PSRN, plantae.org/PSRN) is shifting the focus to enable trainees to take ownership of their training experiences. “Since President Lincoln … Read morePlant scientists call for renewed focus on empowerment of trainees

ASPB Education Booth at Plant Biology 2018

At Plant Biology 2018, the ASPB Education and Outreach booth featured a variety of resources for visitors with multiple booth guests sharing helpful teaching tools and outreach activities. Long time education committee member Scott Woody made it across the Canadian border with his FPsc (fast plants, self-compatible) and genetic resources to share with conference attendees. … Read moreASPB Education Booth at Plant Biology 2018

Education and Outreach at Plant Biology 2018

The education concurrent symposium at Plant Biology 2018 attracted a wide array of scientists committed to the importance of educating the public and students about topics in plant biology. Each speaker presented a creative way to generate knowledge and excitement about scientific discovery either to students in the classroom or to the public via various … Read moreEducation and Outreach at Plant Biology 2018

One Year After SURF-ing: Students Reflect and Share What’s Next

The ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) fund promising undergraduate students so they can conduct research in plant biology during the early part of their college careers. SURF recipients must present their research at ASPB’s annual Plant Biology meeting in the year following the fellowship award. Two 2017 SURF recipients share how their undergraduate research … Read moreOne Year After SURF-ing: Students Reflect and Share What’s Next

ASPB Master Educator Program 2018 Winner

ASPB’s Master Educator Program offers financial support to successful applicants to participate in focused, substantive, and practical professional development with the aim of creating undergraduate plant biology instructional materials aligned with the recommendations of Vision and Change and ASPB’s core concepts in plant biology (http://www.aspb.org/education-outreach/higher-education/). Congratulations to the 2018 winner, Dong Wang (Assistant Professor, Department of … Read moreASPB Master Educator Program 2018 Winner

Plant BLOOME 2018 Winners Announced

ASPB established the Plant Biology Learning Objectives, Outreach Materials & Education (BLOOME) grant program (the name changed over time) with the goal to enhance public awareness and understanding of the essential roles of plants in all areas of life. Congratulations to the three 2018 ASPB Plant BLOOME recipients! Widely Accessible Virtual Reality Exhibits and Workshops … Read morePlant BLOOME 2018 Winners Announced

Join the 2018-2019 Planting Science Master Plant Science Team!

ASPB invites members to join the 2018-2019 PlantingScience Master Plant Science Team. PlantingScience is a free online resource to teachers and schools. The program provides volunteer scientists, resources, and activities to support innovation in teaching, learning, and mentoring. PlantingScience is a learning community where scientists provide online mentorship to student teams as they design and think through their own … Read moreJoin the 2018-2019 Planting Science Master Plant Science Team!

Announcing the 2018 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF)

The ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program funds promising undergraduate students so they can conduct research in plant biology during the early part of their college careers over the course of 10 consecutive weeks. This year’s SURF recipients will present their research at Plant Biology 2019. Congratulations to these 2018 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows … Read moreAnnouncing the 2018 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF)

ASPB Education & Outreach Booth Takes Visitors into the World of Plants at USA Science and Engineering Festival

ASPB’s Education and Outreach Committee hosted an outreach booth at the 5th USA Science & Engineering Festival (USASEF) in Washington, DC on April 6-8, 2018. Held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the event brought in over 370,000 visitors and occupied 2.3 million square feet of convention space. The Festival drew a large, diverse … Read moreASPB Education & Outreach Booth Takes Visitors into the World of Plants at USA Science and Engineering Festival

ASPB Educational Outreach: A Rockstar Booth at NSTA 2018

The ASPB Education Committee hosted an Education & Outreach booth at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia during March 15th– March 17th, 2018. Located at the Georgia World Congress Center, the booth was organized by ASPB Education Committee member Scott Woody and ASPB Education Coordinator Winnie Nham. Local volunteers helping to … Read moreASPB Educational Outreach: A Rockstar Booth at NSTA 2018

Promoting Plant Biology Education at NABT 2017

The ASPB Education Committee hosted an Education & Outreach booth at the National Association of Biology Teachers Professional Development Conference  in St. Louis, MO this past November.  Held in the historic Union Station hotel, this year’s booth was organized by ASPB Education Committee members Valerie Haywood and Scott Woody, and Winnie Nham, ASPB Education Coordinator. … Read morePromoting Plant Biology Education at NABT 2017

Next Generation of Training for Arabidopsis Researchers: Bioinformatics and Quantitative Biology

In a new Commentary in Plant Physiology, Friesner et al. write a compelling vision for next-generation training for plant scientists. We asked three of the 39 authors, Joanna Friesner, Molly Megrew and Siobhan Brady, to tell us about their motivations and goals for writing this commentary. You and several other authors (see the full list … Read moreNext Generation of Training for Arabidopsis Researchers: Bioinformatics and Quantitative Biology

Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE): Call for Proposals

RCN-UBE (NSF 18-510) is designed to enhance undergraduate biology education using networks of faculty and professionals to communicate and coordinate their research, training, and educational activities. The theme of RCN-UBE proposals can be on any topic likely to enhance undergraduate biology education. RCN-UBE provides opportunities to: foster new collaborations address interdisciplinary topics explore innovative ideas … Read moreResearch Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE): Call for Proposals

Incorporating Venus Flytraps into K-12 STEM Curriculum

Simran Kaur, Sreyashi Ghosh, Juliet Malkowski, and Aileen Wu, high school students at Princeton High School, recently presented at the ASPB Mid-Atlantic conference under the auspices of the ASPB BLOOME Grant, headed by educator Mark Eastburn. They weigh in on their research and bringing STEM to the K-12 classroom below: In a collaboration between researchers … Read moreIncorporating Venus Flytraps into K-12 STEM Curriculum

DC Teachers’ Night at the U.S. Botanic Garden: An Evening Filled with Plant-astic ASPB Outreach Activities

On September 22, ASPB participated in an evening of outreach at the United States Botanical Garden in Washington, D.C., as an exhibitor at the annual D.C. Teachers’ Night hosted by USBG and the District of Columbia Environmental Education Consortium. The evening features dozens of exhibitors with hands-on activities, lesson plans, and resources for K-12 teachers … Read moreDC Teachers’ Night at the U.S. Botanic Garden: An Evening Filled with Plant-astic ASPB Outreach Activities

Scientists Urgently Needed to Mentor Students Online

PlantingScience.org is seeking scientists (undergraduates through retired/emeritus) willing to mentor middle and high school students this fall (Sept – Nov). We expect over 1000 student teams and we don’t have enough mentors to work with them all! Mentors work online with 1-3 teams of students to help them design and carry out investigations on a … Read moreScientists Urgently Needed to Mentor Students Online

The ASPB Education Booth: A BLOOMEing Good Time

At Plant Biology 2017, the Biology Learning Objectives, Outreach Materials & Education (BLOOME) awards were the focus of the Education Booth.  These grants are awarded on a competitive basis to fund innovative ideas to increase education and outreach projects focusing on plant science literacy. Four previous award winners came to Hawaii to share the products of … Read moreThe ASPB Education Booth: A BLOOMEing Good Time

Education and Outreach at Plant Biology 2017

Can art be used to teach elementary students that plants respond to environmental cues? How can museums make learning about plant evolution more fun? Does writing and editing Wikipedia articles increase student engagement in science writing? How can teachers use schoolyard woodlands to teach students about diversity? Can citizen science be used to demonstrate that … Read moreEducation and Outreach at Plant Biology 2017

Plant Biology 2017 – Education Workshop Does Big Data

Big data, computation and bioinformatics have flooded the research community.  At Plant Biology 2017, it flooded the classroom as well. The education workshop, “ABC’s (Analysis, Bioinformatics and Computation) in the Classroom,” featured integration of computation and analysis of biological data into the classroom. Dr. Katerina Thompson, University of Maryland, and Dr. Judy Brusslan, California State … Read morePlant Biology 2017 – Education Workshop Does Big Data