NASA GLOBE Learning Expedition 2018 (10)

The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Program is a worldwide hands-on, primary- and secondary-school-based science and education program focusing on the environment, now active in 112 countries world-wide.

LCC students Tinu Atilade & Samsara Silinga attended the GLOBE Learning Expedition (GLE) in Killarney from 1-6 July 2018. They were part of an international team of 200 students who had worked on environmental science projects for the NASA GLOBE program. This is the first year Irish schools took part in the GLOBE Learning program and 5 schools were invited to attend and present their work. They will continue their work to record data and monitor changes in the environment. They will continue to actively foster and promote citizen science in their local and national communities in collaboration with the wider international GLOBE community of scientists, educators & students.

LCC carried out a project with 3 pillars: Science, peer education and raising awareness. The students conducted the GLOBE Cloud and Aerosol Optical Thickness Protocols, recorded daily data and then uploaded this to the NASA ground readings database to support satellite data. They linked to St.Mary's Primary School on Dorset Street, D2 to teach their Green schools committee students how to conduct the GLOBE Protocols. As part of an overall awareness campaign the students carried out a series of green day events including dying their teacher's hair blue to raise funds to buy Cloud Appreciation Society badges as gifts for St. Mary's primary school students. They also invited the school community to complete the WWF carbon calculator to encourage citizen science and personal responsibility for the sustainable care of our environment.

At GLE Tinu & Samsara joined an international community of scientists, educators and students. All the students made a presentation of their work to the GLOBE community over the week along with daily fieldwork in Killarney National  Park and evening events such as Culture Night showcasing key characteristics from all the different countries.

Here are some more links to get further information on the GLOBE Learning Expedition for 2018.

https://www.globe.gov/news-events/meetings_symposia/globe-learning-expeditions/2018-killarney-ireland

http://www.antaisce.org

https://www.epa.ie