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Journal of Science Policy & Governance | Volume 18, Issue 03 | August 30, 2021

Policy Position Paper: The Federal Science Project: A Scientist in Every Classroom

Vetri Velan (1)*, Rachel Woods-Robinson (2)*, Elizabeth Case (3)†, Isabel Warner (4)†, Andrea Poppiti (5), Brian Abramowitz (6)
  1. University of California, Berkeley, Department of Physics, Berkeley, California
  2. University of California, Berkeley, Applied Science and Technology Graduate Group, Berkeley, California
  3. Columbia University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, New York City, New York
  4. University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  5. Rutgers University, Graduate School of Education, New Brunswick, New Jersey
  6. University of Florida, College of Education, Gainesville, Florida
*,† Indicates equal contributions

Corresponding author: vvelan@berkeley.edu, rwoodsrobinson@berkeley.edu
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https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG180308
Keywords: K12 education; outreach; STEM
Executive Summary: The United States urgently needs science-based solutions for a multitude of policy issues, and a basic societal understanding of science is essential to gaining public trust and addressing these issues. However, there is a disconnect between professional scientists and engineers and K-12 science education. Many students will graduate after 13 years of school having never met a scientist. This missed opportunity is not an issue of supply. There are over 7 million practicing scientists and engineers in the U.S.; if every scientist spent just one hour a year in a classroom, each student would get at least three visits from a scientist every single year. Here, we propose the Federal Science Project: a federally funded, nationwide program to bring scientists into all K-12 schools across the U.S. with the goal of reaching every student, regardless of geographic location. Scientists and engineers across disciplines and sectors would undergo training in communication skills and cultural competency, connect with classrooms via a national database with support from full-time staff, partner with teachers to deliver interactive lessons aligned with existing curriculum and standards, and receive appropriate compensation. Close partnerships between scientists, engineers, teachers, policymakers, and community partners in science education (science centers, museums, etc.) would invigorate the trust-based connections needed for 21st-century science education and policy transformations. 

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Vetri Velan is a Ph.D. candidate in physics at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on detecting particles of dark matter, a mysterious substance making up 85% of the matter in the universe.
 
Rachel Woods-Robinson is a Ph.D. candidate at UC Berkeley researching new materials for solar cells. Alongside Elizabeth Case she co-founded Cycle for Science, an adventure-based science outreach organization.
 
Elizabeth Case is a Ph.D. candidate at Columbia University studying how glaciers form and flow, and a Scientist-in-Parks fellow at Grand Teton National Park. Along with Rachel Woods-Robinson, she co-founded Cycle for Science, a program that translates research into hands-on lessons for K-12 classrooms.
 
Isabel Warner is a Ph.D. candidate in microbiology at the University of Queensland. She studies bacterial genomes to find new targets for novel antimicrobials.
 
Andrea Poppiti is a middle school science teacher and an Ed.D. student at Rutgers University. She is interested in teachers' perceptions of and experiences implementing the Next Generation Science Standards.
 
Brian Abramowitz is a Ph.D. student at the University of Florida’s College of Education. He studies the efficacy of partnerships between Earth systems scientists and K-12 teachers.
 
Acknowledgments
We sincerely thank Teresa Barnett, Tyler Chuck, and Eric Lee for providing valuable feedback based on their expertise in science policy, science education, and science outreach. We would also like to thank our editors for their comments, which greatly improved the manuscript.
DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.

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