- 1University of Maryland, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), College Park, MD, USA (lisa.milani@nasa.gov)
- 2NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- *A full list of authors appears at the end of the abstract
The NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) Mentorship Program from 2023 hosts a spin-off program dedicated to teachers and educators. A GPM expert connects with Italian school teachers to learn about the water cycle, climate change and precipitation through the lens of the GPM mission. The main focus of the project is to provide information and tools to teachers in order to be able to pass the scientific knowledge to their students. After three lectures about water cycle, weather and climate, and the GPM mission and its applications, the teachers aided by the GPM expert develop a practical project with the students. The project integrates local pedagogic and administrative realities by aligning with national curricula, addressing teacher participation and career development requirements, and incorporating topics of local and professional interest.
The project is multidisciplinary and focused on precipitation, from measurement using rain gauges deployed in the school yard, to data analysis comparing measured data with GPM satellite retrievals. Classroom discussions on precipitation trends and changes lead to climate change awareness and link this project to other programs on sustainability developed by the schools. This paper will provide an outline of the program, an overview of the practical projects led by the teachers and links to material available in Italian and English ready to use in the classroom. The program is in constant development, including expansion to other countries, to make educational material available in different languages to reduce language barriers and increase exposure opportunities of Earth observation data to younger generations.
Antonella Bartolozzi (3), Roberta Benedetto (4), Valeria Bolognini (5), Ennio Cantoresi (6), Giulia Ciantra (7), Pancrazio Di Angelo (7), Arianna Franceschetti (4), Lara Girotto (3), Laura Insogna (8), Patrizia Mancin (3), Barbara Maragna (9), Maria Angela Mercuri (7), Sandra Moretti (10), Tania Patrizio (7), Anita Paganelli (9), Ilaria Piccioni (6), Elisabetta Ricci (4), Silvia Rizzi (3), Luca Samiolo (4), Serena Stocco (3), Manuela Vallin (3), Carolina Venturoli (3), Michela Zanella (4), Roberta Zanirato (11), Andrea Portier (2)(12), Vasco Mantas (13). AFFILIATIONS: (1) Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; (2) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA; (3) Scuola secondaria di primo grado ‘G.Bonifacio’ – Istituto Comprensivo ROVIGO1 – Rovigo, Italy; (4) Istituto di Istruzione Superiore “Viola-Marchesini”: sede Istituto Tecnico Agrario “O.Munerati”, Sant’Apollinare, Rovigo, Italy; (5) Istituto Comprensivo di Castelmassa, Rovigo, Italy; (6) Istituto di Istruzione Superiore Statale “G. Peano - C. Rosa”, Nereto, Teramo, Italy; (7) Istituto di Istruzione Superiore Licei “Luca da Penne-Mario dei Fiori”, Penne, Pescara, Italy; (8) Scuola Primaria "A. Fleming" di Castelnovo Bariano, Istituto Comprensivo di Castelmassa, Rovigo, Italy; (9) Scuola dell’Infanzia “V. da Feltre”, Istituto Comprensivo di Costa di Rovigo-Fratta Polesine, Bornio di Villanova del Ghebbo, Rovigo, Italy; (10) Scuola dell'infanzia di Castelnovo Bariano, Istituto Comprensivo di Castelmassa, Rovigo, Italy; (11) Scuola Infanzia di Ceregnano, Istituto comprensivo di Villadose, Rovigo, Italy; (12) Science Systems and Applications, Inc., Lanham, MD, USA; (13) University of Coimbra / CITEUC.
How to cite: Milani, L. and the GPM Mentorship Program - Italian Educator Track: Bringing NASA Earth Science Data in the Classroom: NASA GPM Mentorship Program – Educator Track, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7475, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7475, 2025.
