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 The Chicago Academy of Sciences, a museum and educational
institution seeks information and resources available by the
Internet or otherwise for help in improving two of its programs:

Environmental Issues Forum (EIF) and Science Teaching Network
(STN).

EIF is a series of courses for Chicago Public School teachers on
ecological principles and global environmental problems and
issues.  The four courses--Air Quality Issues, Water Quality
Issues, Land Use Issues, and Solid Waste and Recycling--correlate
with the Academy outreach program, Ecological Citizenship, (Eco*Cit)
for grades  K-8 on environmental issues.

STN is a series of week-long workshops for Chicago Public School
teachers on four science topics--Hands-on Biology, Hands-on
Physical Science, Hands-on Chemical Science, and Hands-on Earth
Science--that correlate with the Academy outreach program,
Science on the Go, (SOG) for grades K-8.

The two programs are designed to produce better science teachers
by showing teachers how they can approach various science topics
in exciting, imaginative ways.  They use everyday, inexpensive,
easy to find items for the experiments.  The teachers don't sit
back and watch demonstrations--they get involved and do the
experiments themselves.

The CAS Education Department would be interested in the following:
What kind of research is being done with teachers--
  to change their attitudes toward teaching science?
  to enhance their abilities to teach science?

What kind of research is being done on outreach programs like
Eco-Cit and SOG?
  What are the ingredients for successful outreach programs?
  How many contacts of outreach educator with school work best?
  Who determines the curriculum?
  How are teachers encouraged to buy in?

What research is being done about Urban Environmental Education?
  What works?
  What are the needs of the audience?
  What programs exist now?

Any and all comments from interested persons and institutions
would be helpful.
Please respond to: U58603@UICVM.UIC.EDU
Thank you !
C. Dunn  Technical Operations Manager
The Chicago Academy of Sciences
2001 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 549-0606