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Students engaging in field experiments with CEES scientists
Discovering the Science of the Environment (DSE) is an innovative education program that provides 8-14-year-old students the opportunity to learn about science in real and engaging ways that relate to their interests.
DSE is the newest outreach program in IUPUI’s Center for Earth and Environmental Science (CEES). Participants learn how to use the latest research-grade equipment and technology to test for water quality and evaluate the status of the environment.
Why water? “Water ties people and communities together,” says CEES Director and Associate Professor of Earth Sciences Lenore Tedesco. “Our focus on water quality and resources makes science education relevant and exciting.”
DSE has collaborated with IUPUI’s Visualization and Interactive Spaces Lab to help make this program a success. The VIS Lab, which is part of the Pervasive Technology Labs at IU, is a research and economic development engine that was initiated by a grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc.
The DSE program has several key components:
Indiana University and its partners are committed to increasing the number of qualified scientists, engineers, and technology professionals in the Indiana workforce. According to Anne Shane, vice president of BioCrossroads, a supporter of the DSE program, “Over 80 percent of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. depend upon a knowledge base in science and math.”
Outreach to the next generation is key to developing our workforce and keeping Indiana competitive in tomorrow’s economy. Many of the area’s leading corporations and foundations agree. Among them are the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Dow AgroSciences, Eli Lilly and Company, the Duke Energy Foundation, and Veolia Water Indianapolis, LLC, whose lead gift totals $200,000. Tim Hewitt, Veolia president and operations manager, explains, “We have such a strong partnership with CEES in our research and watershed management. It makes sense to support a hands-on, technology-driven educational program that connects students to the environment.”
And, continues Hewitt, “The DSE program will not only equip students with the skills they need to be successful in their careers, it will also nurture the next generation of environmental stewards in our community.”