Contact: Rick Peterson, Manager of News Services, 414/832-6590 For Immediate Release December 3, 1996 Lawrence University Bringing JASON Project to Area Schools APPLETON, WIS.-- The JASON Project, a unique, international, interactive education program that enables students to peer over the shoulders of scientists around the world, is coming to Appleton area schools and classrooms. With the help of a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Lawrence University has been designated the second network site in Wisconsin for the national JASON Project and will serve as a coordinating "hub" for area schools participating in the program. A development workshop for area elementary and middle school science teachers interested in incorporating the 1997 JASON Project into their studies will be held Saturday, December 14 on the Lawrence campus. The workshop will feature several guest speakers and local scientists who will provide background information on this year's JASON Project curriculum. Workshop participants also will engage in a variety of hands-on activities and demonstrations led by teachers who have previous JASON curriculum experience. "The establishment of a JASON network site at Lawrence is a truly exciting opportunity for area students and schools," said Bart DeStasio, assistant professor of biology at Lawrence, who is coordinating the college's involvement with the project. "By offering area students and teachers state-of- the-art telecommunications technology and the ability to interact with other students and scientists in the state, as well as around the world, the JASON Project brings a whole new dimension to the way we teach science. It's an opportunity we hope area educators take full advantage of, starting with the development workshop." Named for Jason of Greek mythology fame, the JASON Project was founded in 1989 by renown oceanographer Bob Ballard after he received thousands of letters from school children wanting to know how he discovered the sunken remains of the RMS Titanic. Designed to excite and engage students in science and technology, the JASON Project selects a "mission" each year, then combines interdisciplinary approaches with the latest in interactive telecommunications to link scientists doing actual field research with classrooms and students around the world. The 1997 JASON Project features the theme, "Journey from the Center of the Earth," and has selected Iceland and Yellowstone National Park as its two primary research areas. Students and the JASON team of scientists will conduct field studies that relate to the concept of "movement" through the perspectives of geology (cataclysmic, tectonic and geothermal), biology (human and animal migration) and glaciology (glacier movement and how it affects climate). "While the main expedition sites this year are Yellowstone and Iceland, the most important research location is literally right here in students' backyards," said DeStasio. "Through the JASON Project curriculum, students are encouraged to perform a wide range of local field investigations using the same scientific methods employed by the scientists at the expedition sites." During the course of the project, the JASON Online System will allow area students and teachers to communicate with their peers in discussion groups around the country who also are participating in the project. Locally, students will be able to post results of their own field investigations and compare and contrast research findings of other groups to develop hypotheses. In May, Lawrence will host a week-long global teleconference that will "transport" participating students to the expedition research sites in Yellowstone and Iceland via satellite. The teleconference will enable students to watch the expedition live as well as interact with scientists, students and teachers throughout the state who participated in this year's project. The teacher development workshop will be held Saturday, Dec. 14 from 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. in Stephenson Hall, Room 128 on the Lawrence University campus. There is a $50 fee. To register for the workshop, or for additional information about the JASON Project, please call 414/832-6500.