July 20, 2020
Science Alliance Updater
51 years ago today two Apollo 11 astronauts set foot on the Moon. July 20 was a Sunday and the date of the annual Schulte Family Reunion in Petrifying Springs Park in Kenosha. The Eagle landed in the mid afternoon but the actual setting foot on the lunar surface didn’t come til later that evening while we were on the three-hour drive home in the dark. So I watched it on the radio. When we finally got home, we peered at the fuzzy TV images from the Moon in black and white, because, well, we had only a black & white TV. Plus, the transmission from the surface was only in black and white.
Now in the summer of 2020, a helluva lot of our science outreach is being done with video cameras. But the Zooms and FaceTimes are in color and sometimes even in high definition. On a smallish videoconference everyone can see everyone, and the banter doesn’t have a lagtime of two and half seconds like conversations between the Moon and Mission Control did. Also, billions aren’t watching. But otherwise: Wow—it’s amazing what half a century can do.
With many public schools deciding to do instruction only virtually, at least for the first quarter, much our outreach and engagement will continue to depend on our talents in connecting with learners online in real time. It’ll be a long stride, if not a giant leap.
In addition to this coming fall, it’s also time to start thinking about the possibilities of re-opening in the spring. Please note the item at #5 below, which invites your RSVP today (July 20) to join the Reopening for Minors Ad Hoc Workgroup of the Office of Youth Protection & Compliance.
Thanks!
Tom Zinnen
Biotechnology Center; and Division of Extension, 4-H
Notable This Week
1. Science Alliance meets by webinar at 10:00 am Monday July 20 online. Email zinnen@biotech.wisc.edu or ejesse2@wisc.edu to receive the link. The agenda includes
a. Welcome
b. Partnering with Student Chapters of scientific organizations, such as the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, to produce videos and provide live online interactions between UW science students and K12 students and other youth.
c. Discussion of UW-Madison policy this fall on face-to-face programming and videoconferencing programming with youth
d. Update on programs such as virtual Science Festival, Saturday Science from Discovery, and Saturday Science from UW Space Place.
e. Other announcements or topics
2. Please add your upcoming online programs with learners of any ages to the list at http://science.wisc.edu and be sure to include them in the calendar at http://today.wisc.edu and tag them with *Science* and any other appropriate tag.
3. Programming Events
- July 25, Saturday Science, Home Edition, 10 am
- July 25, Saturday Science from UW Space Place, 10 am
4. Add your news, requests and programming announcements to the Updater by emailing them to zinnen@biotech.wisc.edu or ejesse2@wisc.edu
5. A message to science outreachers who work with minors, with an RSVP due later today, July 20.
Greetings Precollege Council,
Please join our Reopening for Minors Ad Hoc Workgroup. This ad hoc workgroup will propose requirements and protocols for safe operations, so that campus leadership can consider resuming youth programs and activities at UW-Madison in 2021.
Workgroup Participants For this initial workgroup, we invite available members of Precollege Council to participate in drafting a proposal. We are especially seeking members who are actively developing plans for resuming in-person youth programming and activities for 2021.
Workgroup Goals
Our shared goal is keeping minors safe when they participate in UW-Madison programs and activities. With the university’s policies and procedures for reopening campus in mind, this workgroup will use current information from CDC, State of WI, Madison/Dane County Public Health, and DPI guidance to propose requirements and guidelines specific to resuming in-person youth programs and activities in 2021.
Result: We will develop protocols that cover the entire range of youth activities. The ad hoc workgroup will submit these proposed protocols to partnering campus offices and subject matter experts for their review prior to submission to the campus leadership and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
This workgroup will not address individual requests for variances or fall programming requests.
Workgroup Schedule
The workgroup will meet via Webex once each month, July 2020 through October 2020.
Meetings are scheduled 2:00-4:00 PM on the following Tuesdays:
• July 21
• August 25
• September 22
• October 13
Campus Stakeholder Review
Review is needed from a wide range of campus partners and stakeholders. Upon completion of our initial draft, the suggestions from this ad hoc workgroup will be reviewed by representatives from:
• Office of Legal Affairs
• Environment Health and Safety
• Camp Health, University Health Services
• Risk Management
• Office of Compliance (ADA/Title IX)
• Office of Human Resources/Workforce Relations
Please Join Us We hope you or another representative from your youth program or activity will join us!
Please sign up on this RSVP form by Monday, July 20.
Contact Jennifer Sandridge (OYPC) at jennifer.sandridge@wisc.edu with any questions.
Thank you for your consideration and stay well!
OYPC Team: Prenicia Clifton, Keri Robbins, Lindsey Peterson, and Jennifer Sandridge
_______________________________________________________
Jennifer Sandridge
Professional Development Coordinator
University of Wisconsin–Madison | Division of Continuing Studies | Life Long Learning
Office of Youth Protection and Compliance
21 N Park St #7333; Madison, WI 53715 | jennifer.sandridge@wisc.edu | 608-262-2862
Webex personal room https://uwmadison.webex.com/meet/pr924445639