Outreach
In addition to advancing the geophysical sciences, AGU serves the public good by:
- Informing and educating the public and by demonstrating the relevance of geophysical research to society,
- Fostering a strong and diverse Earth and space science workforce by educating students and teachers and supporting professionals at all stages of their scientific careers, and
- Providing a basis for the development of public policy activities worldwide.
Activities to achieve these aims fall generally under four main categories:
1. Media and Public Information
AGU's public information programs are designed to enhance public understanding of Earth and space science. To reach the greatest number of people, we work primarily through the mass media, and among our goals is the improvement of science writing intended for the general public.
2. Education and Careers
AGU's education programs capitalize on the intrinsic allure of the Earth and space sciences, and their fundamental relevance to daily life. Through education- and career-focused events at annual AGU meetings, national conferences on science education reform, professional development workshops for teachers, special programs for pre-college and post-secondary students, awards for science educators, and printed and electronic resources, AGU offers an array of opportunities that expose students, teachers, and life-long learners to the freshest, most accurate scientific knowledge and the excitement of discovery.
3. Science Policy and Public Affairs
Public Affairs programs strive to increase the number and effectiveness of scientists who communicate with policy makers around the globe. Our goal is to help AGU members use their intelligence and expertise to provide a basis for the development of public policy activities worldwide.
4. History of the Earth and Space Sciences
The History of Geophysics Committee, composed of scientists and historians of science, seeks to enhance understanding of scientific process and its cultural context through analysis of past scientific work and its connections with intellectual, technological, social, economic and other developments. We support sessions at AGU that illuminate conceptual and cognitive changes in our understanding of natural phenomena over time, and those that contribute to our understanding of the scientific mind at work. Since science policy is only as good as the historical understanding on which it is based, the HGC also attempts to shed light, through careful historical research, on crucial developments that have shaped the earth sciences.