Representatives from several Gulf Coast organizations will meet on May 3 in New Orleans, La., to develop plans for collaborating on the revitalization of K–12 science education programs in the region.

The meeting, "Changing the Course of Science Education: Building Awareness for Key Leaders in the Gulf Coast Region," will be facilitated by the National Science Resources Center of the Smithsonian Institution and the National Academies, with major support from the Shell Exploration & Production Company. Participants will include representatives from local public schools, businesses, universities, media, and other organizations supporting K–12 science education.

The goal of the initiative is to involve a wide range of leaders in the restructuring of science education in the region. Revitalized local educational systems will better serve the needs of employers, workers, residents, and students who are gradually returning to the area after the 2005 hurricanes. Shell, as the largest employer in the greater New Orleans area, has made a major investment in the rebuilding effort, and sees this event as an opportunity to create a lasting partnership to improve the scientific and technological capacity of the region. Joining Shell in support of initiatives that establish effective business-education partnerships are DuPont, The Dow Chemical Company, and other corporations with operations in the Gulf Coast.

The meeting will help set strategic directions for community involvement. Sessions will be facilitated by educators experienced in leading science education reform programs, and by leaders from the business and scientific communities who have developed successful partnerships in education.

"We teach science not only to produce future workers—and as this region continues to rebound from the effects of the storm, we see significant economic opportunities here—but also because good citizenship demands at least a basic understanding of how the world works," maintains NSRC executive director Sally Goetz Shuler.

"Today’s students are tomorrow’s voters; they will be asked to evaluate many issues—environmental, biomedical, technological—in which science literacy can help them reach intelligent, well-reasoned solutions. Our experience is that businesses, especially those based in science and engineering, bring credibility to this effort. They have a critical role in improving the quality of science learning and teaching in our schools."

The event will begin with an opening reception and dinner Wednesday, May 2, from 5:00 until 9:00 p.m. at the InterContinental Hotel New Orleans, 444 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, La. The Keynote speaker Wednesday evening will be Philip Sadler, manager of the Science Education Department at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Mass. A business session will follow on Thursday, May 3, from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the same location.