Education & Career Services ContactsCommittee on Education & Human Resources (CEHR)
CEHR provides guidance on AGU’s education and outreach portfolio, with additional support from the Section education and outreach committees, and education representatives from related societies and scientific organizations. Implementation of these programs relies heavily on volunteer efforts within the AGU membership.
CEHR Vision Statement
As the premier global society of Earth and space scientists, AGU is well positioned to help confront challenges within education systems and workforce training. The Union can be a leader in improving the quality of and access to modern geoscience education; strengthening worldwide networks of scientists, educators, and students; and inspiring future generations of Earth and space scientists drawn from a diverse talent pool. This vision relies on using AGU’s resources wisely, mobilizing members, and collaborating with other societies that serve the broader geoscience community.
Programs and projects endorsed by the AGU Committee on Education and Human Resources are designed to:
- Inform the global AGU membership about current issues in science education and research on learning, encourage their continued professional development as educators, and provide resources to facilitate integration of their research and education activities.
- Foster excellence in secondary and post-secondary Earth and space science education and instruction by providing teachers with direct access to current scientific knowledge and by guiding national science education policy.
- Advocate, in partnership with other societies, for increased teaching of the geosciences in classrooms worldwide.
- Nurture students and early career professionals by providing opportunities to present their research, network with future peers, interact with mentors and established community leaders, and learn about early career resources and opportunities.
- Recruit the next generation of Earth and space scientists and broaden participation of traditionally underrepresented groups in these fields.
Background Statement
The Challenge
Earth is a restless planet composed of complex, dynamic systems. The processes that shape Earth and its solar system environment transcend national boundaries and affect all citizens. Public literacy about the Earth and space sciences is essential if humankind is to wisely develop natural resources, mitigate hazards, and respond to evolving Earth systems, such as climate. The scientists who advance our understanding of these systems operate in a global community, using sophisticated tools and multi-disciplinary knowledge. Increasingly, these scientists are engaged in bringing current knowledge to the audiences who will benefit from it most. Geoscience education at the secondary and post-secondary levels offers the best vehicle for achieving broad public scientific literacy and for attracting the next generation of Earth and space scientists. Yet, limited student exposure to high quality geoscience courses, inadequate teacher preparation, and growing threats from anti-scientific factions have significantly weakened Earth science education at the secondary level. Consolidation of undergraduate geoscience programs, failure to recruit and retain students from underrepresented communities, and declining undergraduate student enrollments in the geosciences—at their lowest levels in thirty years worldwide—raise important concerns about whether the diverse, global workforce necessary to conduct future research will be available to maintain the vitaility of the aging scientific community.
– March 2005