The United States And France Partner In CALIPSO Satellite Education: Providing Students And Teachers With An Opportunity To Collect Sun Photometer Data And Improve Their Understanding Of Climate Change

The CALIPSO satellite based research mission was successfully launched, with the CloudSat mission, on a Delta II rocket on April 28, 2006. CALIPSO, an acronym for Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations, is a joint mission between NASA in the United States and CNES in France. CALIPSO uses Lidar to detect the size and distribution of clouds and aerosols. In addition to providing scientists with improved atmospheric data, the launch of CALIPSO is also promoting an international partnership between students and teachers in France and the United States. Under the direction of Dianne Q. Robinson, Hampton University leads the CALIPSO U.S. education and public outreach (EPO) program, while Danielle DeStaerke manages the EPO efforts in France, known as Calisph"Air. The data being collected by CALIPSO is helping scientists, teachers and students to better understand the role aerosols and clouds play in Earth's climate system. Paul Adams, a professor at Fort Hays State University in Kansas, works directly with CALIPSO and Calisph"Air, providing instruction for teachers and unique science education opportunities for students. Since 2004, live events such as web chats and videoconferences have been conducted for students in both countries, allowing them a connection to the mission scientists. In addition, the programs have implemented several teacher workshops in France and the U.S. providing educators with an opportunity to develop a greater understanding of the science of CALIPSO. Key to the success of this international partnership has been the opportunity for both programs to continue to work through GLOBE to involve students in taking measurements of aerosols with a hand-held sun photometer. All data is collected using a precise GLOBE protocol and reported online. The activities developed by the CALIPSO and Calisph"Air education programs, as well as the data collected by students internationally, allows teachers, students and the public to better understand the worldwide impacts made by humans on Earth's atmosphere.