UC San Diego honors Cheryl Peach from Scripps with Diversity Award
Cheryl Peach: Driving Science Education Outreach in San Diego's Diverse Communities
Cheryl Peach, Director of Scripps Educational Alliances at UC San Diego and a program scientist at the Birch Aquarium, is a celebrated figure in the realm of science education outreach. Her efforts have been particularly focused on underserved communities in San Diego.
Peach is the Scripps principal investigator for the Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE), a national program aimed at improving and expanding ocean science education. She is also the education manager for the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) Cyberinfrastructure Implementing Organization.
One of Peach's most notable achievements is the establishment of the Scripps Classroom Connection Graduate Fellows in K-12 education, also known as the GK-12 program. This initiative pairs graduate students with teachers for curriculum development and teaching during a school year. The program, which Peach helped establish, aims to expand graduate students' communication techniques by presenting to a group that is not their peers.
The GK-12 program has been instrumental in bringing science education to schools with a high number of students receiving free and reduced lunches. Peach's work with the program has been acknowledged with a UC San Diego Diversity Award.
In the San Diego Unified School District, which is ethnically and socio-economically diverse, teachers in the GK-12 program receive help in lesson planning from a research scientist and the opportunity to learn about current research. This collaboration has been key in fostering relationships between teachers and administrators in the district.
Peach's work extends beyond the GK-12 program. She is a founding member of the OOI Education and Public Engagement Team and a past chair of the national COSEE Council. Her dedication to science education outreach has not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by the support she receives from her colleagues, including Hubert Staudigel, Nigella Hillgarth, and the staff at Birch Aquarium.
Despite the lack of up-to-date, specific details about Peach's work in San Diego, it is clear that she is a driving force in promoting science education outreach, particularly in underserved communities. For detailed and current information on her science outreach work in San Diego, it is recommended to consult local San Diego education organisations, university outreach programs, or official community science education initiatives where she might be involved.
Cheryl Peach's initiatives, such as the GK-12 program, aim to integrate science education into diverse schools, promoting learning in subjects like ocean science. Her work in education-and-self-development, specifically in collaboration with the San Diego Unified School District, fosters communication skills for graduate students while providing resources for teachers.
