The International Ocean Discovery Program is an international programme that works to explore the oceans and the rocks beneath them. Working from shallow to deep waters, and in ice covered to more tropical areas, scientists work in order to investigate our planets dynamic history. The role of science communication within this programme is to raise the awareness of ocean drilling, and its central role in understanding the past, present and future of Earth. But how do we, or can we in the future, convey the excitement of this program to others and inspire careers in STEM subjects?
The last decade or so has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of science available for popular consumption. As much as research scientists may understand the current and future challenges associated with our changing environmental demands, it is often a struggle for many in the public to see beyond the immediate issues affecting their families. The reality is that these challenges are present, but it is not always obvious to see how they are relevant to an individual – sometimes the challenges just seem too big. Public engagement must keep this in mind and find ways to relate the message to the core values of the person or audience.
This session addresses the formats by which we disseminate scientific information and discoveries arising from ocean drilling – what have we done in the past, what are we doing now, and what ideas do we have for the future engagement of students with ocean research drilling. Experiences and examples of best practice illustrated in poster or oral format will present school teachers, university lecturers and researchers that describe their outreach efforts in the lab, field and geoscience classrooms to promote high-quality geoscience education at all levels.