The Center for Applied Plant Sciences (CAPS), a partnership among the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and the College of Engineering taps into diverse scientific expertise to translate very basic biological concepts into problem-solving applications. 

Its commitment to addressing environmental issues extends to educational outreach, providing meaningful learning opportunities for students K-12. The new, $29,409 Plant BLOOME grant from the American Society of Plant Biologists funds CAPS’ new educational outreach project, Plant solutions for global problems: Bringing plant science to life through interactive videoconferencing.

The grant, which begins Sept. 1, expands CAPS’ outreach and education initiatives and strengthens its partnership with COSI. Erich Grotewold, director of CAPS and the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (ABRC), who also is professor of molecular genetics and agriculture and crop sciences, is principal investigator of this new grant that facilitates a dynamic, digital way to take plant science directly into classrooms.  

The new hour-long Interactive Videoconferencing (IVC) program for students, grades 6-12, will include hands-on investigations, demonstrations and discussions that promote critical thinking. Four short educational videos will show students how important plants and plant research are to their daily lives, condensing core messages into fun, fast-paced mini-lessons. 

“Raising awareness about the importance of plants and showing young people the opportunities that exist in the field of plant science are at the foundation of CAPS’ education and outreach efforts,” says Courtney Price, education and outreach specialist for CAPS and the ABRC. “It is extremely important to make science accessible, interesting and fun for young learners. These new resources will complement traditional curriculum in a unique way.”

The IVC program and videos reinforce important science concepts, while exploring global challenges and current research related to plant science. All content aligns with Next Generation Science Standards and Ohio’s New Learning Standards for Science.

Specific content was developed in brainstorming sessions involving COSI’s informal education experts and CAPS’ faculty, staff and students, who developed both specific plant-science topics and methods for engaging students in exciting and effective ways.

The real-time IVC program will be co-facilitated by COSI’s IVC educators and Ohio State's Translational Plant Science Graduate Program PhD fellows.

The IVC program will be piloted in Central Ohio before being made available to schools in the U.S., Canada and Mexico for the 2017-2018 school year. During the first year of full implementation, more than half the programs will be free to socio-economically disadvantaged school districts.

Videos will be available to educators and the general public via CAPS’ website in summer 2017.