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NASA's Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment

ABoVE

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Section 6.2 GLOBE Program for K12 and Citizen Science

Point of contact:  Holli Riebeek Kohl

The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program is an international science and education program that provides students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment.  Announced by the U.S. Government on Earth Day in 1994, GLOBE launched its worldwide implementation in 1995.
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In 2016, GLOBE began a new initiative to involve non-student citizen scientists in data collection. The new citizen science component of GLOBE, called GLOBE Observer, allows anyone to submit GLOBE observations through an easy-to-use smart phone app. GLOBE Observer aims to build and strengthen the overall GLOBE community by: increasing the density of GLOBE data available for student and science research; improving access to GLOBE data for students and scientists; developing a strong community of GLOBE supporters outside the traditional education realm; and increasing science literacy among participants.

GLOBE, in partnership with ABoVE and Earth to Sky, will pilot the first joint student-public regional field campaign in which participants collect observations in support of ABoVE science. An ABoVE working group will guide the campaign by advising which observations should be collected, giving talks and/or blog posts about ABoVE science in schools, parks, community centers, and other venues, and providing feedback on student research as appropriate.

The campaign is an opportunity to use citizen science as a source of scientific data in Alaska and Canada. It is also a structured way to engage schools and communities both in and beyond the regions visited during field work.

Please contact Holli Riebeek Kohl if you are interested in participating in the ABoVE Student and Citizen Science working group or in leveraging the GLOBE campaign in your work.