Where did the year go? Here we are at another Ada Lovelace Day celebrating women scientists, technologists and engineers everywhere. A perfect day to start another annual DonorsChoose campaign to raise money for needy American science classrooms.
To quote an email from Janet Stemwedel, our fearless Science Bloggers for Students wrangler:
Once again, science bloggers from all over the blogosphere will be mobilizing their readers to help fund projects that support math and science education in public school classrooms across the US. At a time when school budgets are being slashed and political candidates are competing to see who can distance themselves the furthest from scientific evidence, we can step up and help teachers get kids excited about science. And, we and our readers can make the connection between engaging science instruction and a public that understands what science can tell us about our world.
This year, I’m doing something a little different by teaming up with Highly Allochthonous (the great geologizing duo of Anne Jefferson and Chris Rowan) for the 2012 Geobloggers for Earth Science Education campaign. Strength in numbers! We have identified 19 earth-science-focused projects in high-poverty classrooms all over the country and many of them are requests for physical laboratory material. I cannot emphasize enough the need for hands-on work in learning science, much less earth science. Some of the first things to get slashed in school budgets are these physical supplies and the teacher often ends up buying them out of their own paychecks. If PBS shows like Nature or NOVA are taken off the air, one or two hours at school may be the only exposure to science the average American child may ever have.
Again, if you wish to support basic sciences other than geology, please choose from any of the other Science Bloggers’ challenges. I will be sad (and secretly loathe you) but I don’t want you to not give to the overall effort because you prefer biology over geology.
Here are results of previous campaigns:
- 2011: Ocean and Geobloggers raised $3100 of that money to which friends and readers of this blog contributed $645.
- 2010: Ocean and Geobloggers: $3918. You: $500.
It’s only been a day and the Geobloggers already have 6 donations totaling $190. Come on, help us show Southern Fried Science who’s boss!
