National and international Earth System Science Education partnerships: approaching the new millennium

Abstract

The Cooperative University-based Program for Earth System Science Education (ESSE) funded by NASA through USRA emphasizes classroom education, collaborative learning, a network of faculty and students focused on the scientific and human dimensions of global change, and a shared repository of teaching resources. The ESSE Program develops and facilitates cooperative efforts among university and government science communities in areas relevant to Earth system science and global change education. ESSE participants design and offer survey and senior level courses on Earth system science topics. The primary objective of ESSE is to accelerate development of interdisciplinary course offerings for Earth system and global change science and to foster exchange of educational resources within and among colleges and universities. The Program has involved 44 colleges and universities since 1991, and is forming partnerships with other institutions and organizations with complementary educational goals. ESSE participants have initiated a formal collaborative effort to develop Earth System Science educational modules and are proposing to further develop the module concept through additional support.