Collaborative Research: Conference: From The Liberal Art of Science to The Liberating Art of Science: preparing students for science and society in the Mid-21st Century

The proposed project aims to serve the national interest by improving science literacy for all undergraduate students. The project intends to convene a workshop of thought leaders across a variety of scientific disciplines and educational contexts to develop a model for science literacy that addresses contemporary challenges such as climate change, emerging infectious diseases, and science misinformation and disinformation.

The idea for the workshop is grounded in a science literacy framework published in 1990 entitled “The Liberal Art of Science”. Workshop participants will gather in Washington DC to develop an updated framework entitled “The Liberating Art of Science”. Planned sessions will examine the current ecosystem of science instruction in the liberal arts context and the reality of trying to teach science in an era of vocal distrust of science.

Topics will include defining activities to best prepare students for engaging with science throughout their lives and identifying exemplars that can illustrate how scientific literacy can be achieved in the classroom. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.