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Year of Science is excited to announce that Flat Stanley will be taking three separate types of adventures during Year of Science 2009. Stay tuned to the YoS Web sites to get involved, copy the program at your own institution or read about his adventures!

1. Flat Stanley templates are available for download by any student, teacher, or curious member of the public to take on a science adventure.

2. Four official Flat Stanley’s are being sent out to carry the torch for the Year of Science. They will travel from scientist to scientist throughout the year to explore the themes of the Year of Science 2009.

3. University of California, Berkeley has developed a “Where is Flat Stanley?” model program where participating individuals at the University will invite Flat Stanley into their labs and then share his visits on the Science@Cal Web site.
   To see the template for their activities, view the attached document.

We encourage you to invite Flat Stanley to all of your Year of Science activities in 2009 and don’t forget to share his adventures!! Anyone’s Flat Stanley adventure can be shared on the Year of Science social site at

http://www.myyoscience.org/group/flatstanleysscienceadventures

The San Francisco Bay Area Hub will launch its Year of Science celebration on January 11 at Crissy Field Center, in conjunction with “Family Appreciation Day”—an annual, citywide San Francisco event. Crissy Field Center, a part of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and a COPUS participant, will host a lively day of hands-on science activities for families, linked to the Year of Science 2009. Several hub partners will join the fun, to share excitement about COPUS and promote Bay Area Year of Science 2009 events and activities that will be presented throughout 2009. Based on previous years’ attendance for Family Appreciation Day, we anticipate a terrific turnout for our kickoff event. Thank you, Crissy Field Center!

YoS launch event description submitted by Rachel Winheld winheld@berkeley.edu.

The Tampa Bay Hub and Orlando hubs are proud to announce that Governor Crist has officially proclaimed 2009 as the Year of Science in Florida. In addition, the Governor’s office is currently working to identify ways they can support Year of Science events and initiatives around the state. We’re excited to be working with them and look forward to the many exciting new collaborations on the horizon! To read a copy of the proclamation text, contact Ali Hudon at ahudon@marine.usf.edu.

Posting submitted by: Ali Hudon Pier Aquarium, Inc.
800 Second Avenue N.E.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Phone (727) 895-7437 Ext. 208 Fax (727) 894-1212 Email: ahudon@pieraquarium.org website: www.pieraquarium.org

A description of the hubs planned activities from its liaison David Richman: New Mexico State University (NMSU) is a land grant and minority serving institution in Las Cruces, NM, that has been involved in science since its inception in 1888 as Las Cruces College. The Center for Natural History Collections and the Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science at NMSU have joined forces to promote The Year of Science in 2009, with several major events. Several other college departments and independent groups are cooperating with us in this effort. In April and in October we will have a campus wide open house at several natural science collections, the NMSU Museum, and at least one laboratory. On September 30-October 4, 2009 the Southern New Mexico State Fair will feature the Year of Science as its theme and we will have three buildings for displays, demonstrations and presentations on science. Finally we plan to have Brian Ellis present “Darwin and the Beagle” in November at the Corbett Student center Auditorium. We are currently still working out the details on the last activity. We will also be working on mini-programs on science throughout the year for KRWG-FM, our university-based NPR radio station.

For additional information contact: David Richman nmbugman@taipan.nmsu.edu

Participants in the Washington, DC COPUS Regional Hub now have a Facebook group (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=33739102607) and are posting anything — and everything — related to the Year of Science 2009 and DC hub activities. The new Facebook group has more than 53 members, representing dozens of area science organizations, and is growing quickly. DC members have set-up discussion areas for each of the 12 monthly themes for the Year of Science and for a DC launch event thread. In addition to brainstorming ideas for activities and sharing information on events planned in support of Year of Science 2009, the group is using Facebook to plan a DC-area collaborative event to celebrate science. Participants have also been posting messages and wall announcements about science-related workshops, meetings, and resources. Most recently, colleagues in the community are sharing their expertise about topics ranging from outreach to web site development. In general, the Facebook group has allowed for unprecedented communication between members of a large, DC-based science community. The ability to see what other organizations have planned, to share best practices, to comment on ideas and offer suggestions or help, and to form collaborations has made science outreach easier and better. The science community is doing so many great things. Facebook is one way to tell your colleagues about it and form lasting partnerships that enable better public engagement in science. The COPUS National is on Facebook too: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=5277539203. Posted by Bernadette Farrelly.

The Year of Science Celebrates Oceans and Water in June.

Be a part of the celebration!

Part of the Year of Science website for June’s Ocean and Water theme will feature a slide show entitled “A Day Without the Ocean.” We are collecting digital images (photos or scanned drawings) from the ocean education community, scientists, teachers, students, and anyone else interested, that illustrate what world would be like if we lost this vital resource for a day. To participate just send a digital image and caption explaining your thoughts. Selected photos will appear on a rotating basis on June’s Year of Science Ocean and Water website (www.yearofscience2009.org/). Please include a caption no longer then 80 words, your name, your occupation/grade, and city with your submission.

Send all entries to jen@paleobio.org using “Day Without the Ocean Submission” as the subject.

To join the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) and Year of Science Celebrations visit http://www.copusproject.org/

Please pass on the word to the other communities, teachers, scientists, and professionals you know!