Scientific outreach: Linking environmental science education in high schools with scientific research a case study of the Schools on Board program

In 2003 a group of international scientists unanimously supported a scientific outreach program that would take students and teachers onboard their Arctic research expedition. Five years later ‘Schools on Board’ field program continues to successfully link classroom education with scientific research through authentic science experiences. This is an action research project that utilizes a systematic case study approach to document the planning process and evaluate the 2004 pilot program against a set of three criteria for quality environmental science education programs, determined from the analysis of a literature review on environmental education, science education, and scientific outreach. This project successfully answers the questions “how” and “why” did this program work in 2004? The result is a better understanding of why the program continues to work from both a practical (planning) and theoretical (pedagogical) perspective. Findings of this study include the detailed case description of the steps and key decisions made during the design, planning and implementation of this scientific outreach program, and an evaluation against the criteria identified in the study to reveal recommendations for program improvements.