The Program

The ASA summer program is up and running for this summer. Currently there are three teachers scheduled to serve as Lead Teachers who will model science inquiry pedagogy for six Collaborating teachers taking the workshop for graduate credit from IU East in Richmond, Indiana. The ASA will be held at the Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary during the months of July and early August. Students participating in the Fayette County School Corporation's summer school program are being invited to participate following their completion of the summer school sessions.

The students will be investigating the natural settings at Mary Gray utilizing inquiry skills. This involves their pursuing questions that they generate in conjunction with the Lead Teachers heading up the program. Longitudinal studies incorporating mathematics and language arts are a critical component of the classes. The Lead Teachers are meeting in May to orchestrate the themes of the two two-week sessions. It is hoped that approximately seventy students will take advantage of this fun and interesting opportunity.

The program is the result of several collaborating organizations. While the IAS is providing the majority of the funding, the Community Education Coalition is supporting the activity as well as the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers, Inc. Additional grants have been solicited. The program is designed not only to provide children with rich learning opportunities, but also to assist teachers in the development of critical educational experiences that will transfer into their classrooms while at the same time providing a platform for obtaining graduate credit necessary for renewal of teaching licenses.

ASA Visual Support Needed

One of the draws of birding is the examination of the diverse beauty of birds. In order to do this, birders usually graduate through a series of optical levels regarding the quality of binoculars used to gain access to the birds. This frequently results in birders finding disused binoculars around the home that are of fine quality, but not currently their preferred optics. These binoculars are usually a higher quality than non-birders are familiar with. The binoculars would be a tremendous asset to the supply cabinet of the Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary.

Please consider donating your unused binoculars to the IAS/MGBS so that young students can have the experience of viewing birds with better quality optics than they traditionally have access to. When students bring their own binoculars to Mary Gray, the binoculars are frequently made with plastic lenses and bodies. These instruments actually dissuade potential birders due to the frustrating experiences they provide.

Donations will be tax deductible and letters will be sent to donators acknowledging their contribution for tax filing purposes. Thank you for considering this contribution to the preservation of our natural heritage.

If you are interested in donating your unused binoculars, please contact Carl Wilms at 765-827-5109 or by e-mailing Carl at wilmsce at muohio dot edu.