The Institute for Geophysics is particularly proud of its achievements regarding its Adopt-a-School project, through which UTIG scientists have made presentations about their research to fifth-grade classes at the Emma Galindo and Bertha Casey Elementary Schools and at the Liberty Hill Elementary School’s Gifted and Talented Program. Since 1998, UTIG researchers have worked closely with teachers to convey interesting science concepts and to recreate the excitement of scientific discovery in the classroom.

Testimony of the project’s tremendous success is provided the various awards the schools have won during Austin Science Fun Day, a competitive science fair staged annually at the Texas Memorial Museum by The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Natural Sciences. UTIG staff and scientists have been working with Liberty Hill and Bertha Casey Elementary classes over the past several years. Casey Elementary's fifth grade class scored a First Place win in 2004. The students from both schools won Excellence Awards for their projects in 2000. In 1998 and 1998, the UTIG/Galindo Fifth Grade’s entries took two consecutive first place wins. On both occasions, students from Galindo Elementary, a bilingual school, impressed judges and fair visitors with their ability to clearly explain their projects in English and Spanish.

UTIG staff and students have served as judges for the Casey Elementary K-5 Science Fair. This has provided an opportunity for UTIG people to interact with the children. UTIG staff frequently visit schools to present some of their work. Below is a list of some recent visits.

• Dr. Fred Taylor participated in the Liberty Hill Middle School Science Career Day.

UTIG's GK-12 program gets graduate students involved in the education process.

For more information about the Adopt -a-school program please contact Patricia Ganey-Curry