CONTACT: THE EDUCATION DIVISION
Whereas, CONTACT is a nonprofit public benefit corporation whose specific
purpose is "to produce academic conferences, workshops, publications and
other programs which bring together scientists, writers and artists to
educate
the general public about possibilities and problems that humanity will
encounter in the future", and...
Whereas, "this corporation is organized and operated exclusively for educational
and/or
scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code", and...
Whereas, numerous educational projects have been suggested and/or presented
to the Board of Directors for consideration, and...
Whereas, several educational projects have already been proposed and/or
produced both within and outside of the CONTACT conference context,
Therefore, since it is clear that a) from both stated intent and actual
operation, science education is a primary corporate function, and that
b) a need has arisen to create a body to handle such projects, we hereby
establish a standing committee of the organization, whose special interest
and responsibility will be its educational affairs. The name of the committee
shall be "The Education Division."
SIMULATIONS: FROM CONFERENCE TO CLASSROOM
The simulations that have been transformed from professional thought experiments
of the CONTACT conference into educational tools are "Cultures of the Imagination"
(COTI), an integrated curriculum that can be used
to teach the whole range of the sciences, humanities and arts at any student
level, and "The Solar System Simulation" (SolSys),
an intercollegiate, computer-based, remote-learning course in community building
and operation in which students interact at various campuses around the world
by e-mail, internet and a text-based virtual reality program. COTI has been
used in the classroom since 1983; SolSys was initiated in 1990.
© 1997,1998,1999,2000 CONTACT: Cultures of the Imagination, Inc. All
Rights Reserved.