"The Dynamic Response of Environments at Asteroids, the Moon and moons of Mars (DREAM2) team builds on the work of its predecessor (DREAM), which was established under the auspices of the former NASA Lunar Science Institute, by taking a system-level integrated approach to examining environmentally- driven surface processes common to all airless bodies. The DREAM2 education and public outreach (E/PO) plan builds upon the successful DREAM E/PO program while also bringing DREAM2 and SSERVI content to new and expanded audiences. Based on the results of surveys issued to students who participated in the DREAM E/PO program, it was the direct face-to-face interaction with scientists that they valued the most. These results demonstrate the value of scientist involvement in E/PO efforts. The DREAM2 E/PO plan is designed to allow for increased and sustained interaction between scientists and the audiences DREAM2 will reach.
DREAM2’s E/PO plan aligns with three of the five goals of the Federal Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (CoSTEM): 1) Improve STEM instruction; 2) Enhance STEM experience of undergraduate students; 3) Better serve groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields. The DREAM2 E/PO team is also eager to partner with other SSERVI E/PO teams to extend our reach and impact and to share the exciting science efforts of the other institute teams.
The keystone component of the DREAM2 E/PO program is a partnership with two academic departments and the on-campus middle school at Howard University (HU), a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) located in Washington, D.C. This partnership spans higher education, formal education, and outreach, and allows DREAM2 and SSERVI-related content to reach students and educators underrepresented in the STEM fields. The best practices gleaned by DREAM2 while working with HU will be shared with other SSERVI teams and the planetary science E/PO community.
DREAM2’s higher education efforts will provide opportunities for underrepresented undergraduate students in two areas: 1) Students in the HU Department of Physics and Astronomy will engage in authentic NASA research while learning about DREAM2, SSERVI-related content, and NASA and STEM career opportunities, and 2) Pre-service middle and high school science educators in the HU Department of Curriculum and Instruction will receive professional development on DREAM2 and SSERVI-related content, best practices for engaging students in science, and information about NASA and STEM career opportunities via the “DREAM2Explore” professional development workshop series.
DREAM2’s formal education E/PO efforts will provide in-service educators, including teachers at HU’s Middle School for Mathematics and Science (MS2), with professional development, also via the “DREAM2Explore” professional development workshops. Our outreach efforts will focus on interacting with students at MS2 via classroom visits and other opportunities and with the public via participation in large outreach events like International Observe the Moon Night."