This summer, The GLOBE Program brought 56 students from 13 different countries to Howell Nature Center near Detroit, Michigan for a camp-like experience. The majority of the students in attendance had been chosen to attend and received funding for receiving top scores from local US and international virtual science symposia and presented their research at a poster session prior to attending the nature center experience. Between campfire s’mores and nature walks, the students were asked to collect data and create research projects. Having little more instruction than “use the equipment provided and stay within sight,” the students self-selected mixed age (10-19), gender, and nationality groups; formulated their own research questions to examine the local environment (a small lake, the surrounding trees, and contaminated tap water); and created high quality presentations using the data they collected over two days. The diversity of the questions that the students researched reflected the diversity of the groups themselves and explored topics surrounding water health, land use, and human health. The success of this experience lends itself to make a great case study for allowing students the creative freedom and control to create their research projects, especially in non-classroom settings such as summer camps and outdoor education centers. By combining data collection with recreational activities, in this case kayaks and canoes, removing the structure of a traditional classroom setting, and giving the students complete control over their projects, the students had fun and engaged in their research in a more memorable way.

For the past five+ years, The GLOBE Program has hosted an International Virtual Science Symposium (IVSS). This annual event invites primary through undergraduate GLOBE (Global Learning and Opportunities to Benefit the Environment) students to showcase their Earth science research in an entirely online platform. With GLOBE, students learn the practices of science through hands-on investigations in their own communities, sparking their curiosity and interest in science. This often leads to inquiries that help solve real-world problems and further understanding of our global environment. Students from around the world submit their research projects to a panel of international scientists, teachers, subject matter experts, graduate students, and other interested community members for scoring and valuable feedback which will help them improve as scientists. As well, students are awarded digital badges if they demonstrate specific scientific practices such as collaboration, data science, and engineering. Badges are also awarded to students who work with STEM professionals, explore STEM careers, demonstrate community impacts, and share their research in creative ways such as through storytelling. By the time the pandemic started shutting down schools across the world, the 2020 IVSS was already underway and was able to continue with few interruptions. This helped to reinforce the IVSS as a model for virtual student engagement on a global scale. As well, we now have five years of data to help assess the efficacy of the IVSS, analyze its growth, and help direct future engagement opportunities. Planning for the 2021 IVSS is already underway and we are currently working on how to incorporate COVID-19-related restrictions into the model by encouraging a focus on using previously collected GLOBE data and creating student resources aimed at improving data science skills.

The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program is an international science and education program that connects a network of communities around the world and gives them the opportunity to participate in data collection and the scientific process, and contribute meaningfully to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. GLOBE hosts the GLOBE International STEM Network (GISN), which is an international network of STEM professionals that work with GLOBE students, teachers, and other STEM professionals around the world. Members of the GISN may mentor students and teachers, collaborate on scientific research, use GLOBE data in their research, judge student research projects, and write blogs for the GLOBE website, among other things. In January 2018, the GISN, which was previously only open to graduate students and seasoned STEM professionals, was expanded to include “Early Career STEM Professionals” which includes upper-level undergraduates or master’s students pursuing a degree in a STEM field or recent graduates working in STEM fields but have less than five years’ experience. Goals for expanding the the GISN include granting early career professionals a chance to establish ties with the next generation of STEM professionals, connecting early career professionals and students with potential mentors and collaborators, and allowing early career professionals and students to explore what a career in a STEM field can look like. All GISN members will benefit from an increase in the number of members as well as an increase in the numbers of members who have more flexibility in terms of time and finances. As well, it is another opportunity for GLOBE to engage with alumni of the program who have continued a career in STEM. Unlike other ECS networks, the GISN does not separate the ECS’ out from the other members so all members have equal access to resources and each other. Since opening up the GISN in January, 17 Early Career STEM Professionals representing 5 of our 6 regions (Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America, but not Near East and North Africa) have joined the network bringing total membership to 421 members.