AGI Engages in Outreach
AGI is dedicated to advancing geoscience education and public awareness through a variety of outreach events. Explore highlights from our recent initiatives, including workshops, field experiences, and conferences, that connect educators, students, and the broader community with the exciting world of geosciences.
AGI Outreach Events in 2026
Real-world AI Literacy in Earth Science (Tuscaloosa, AL | July 2026)
AGI and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa hosted a workshop where educators worked alongside researchers to explore how AI techniques, such as digital twins and foundation models, are used to study real-world water systems, from river flow and flash flooding to stormwater management.
National Marine Educators Association (Cambridge, MD | July 2026)
AGI Education Specialist Lindsay Mossa presented about three projects at the NMEA conference, including an in-person presentation about exploring careers through sustainability and three video presentations: Creating Opportunities for Research-Aligned Learning in STEM (CORAL STEM) Program, Geoheritage Resources for the Classroom, and Teacher/Research and Curriculum Experience (TRACX).
RAINSS Educator Workshop (Washington, D.C. | July 2026)
AGI Director of Education and Outreach Ed Robeck led a workshop on rain gardens and nature-based stormwater solutions as part of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Teacher Innovator Institute. Educators explored activities from AGI’s Resilience and Innovation in Nature-based Stormwater Solutions (RAINSS) curriculum, worked with relevant data resources, and considered strategies for adapting and implementing these approaches in their own classrooms and communities.
Soil Science Workshop for Science Educators (West Lafayette, IN | June 2026)
Teachers from Indiana and across the country gathered at Purdue University for the Soil Science Workshop for Science Educators. Throughout the workshop, participants engaged in hands-on soil investigations, explored Purdue’s student farm during a field excursion, and learned how soils influence stormwater management through an interactive visit to the university’s rain garden.
Teacher-Researcher and Curriculum Experience (College Station, TX| June 2026)
AGI’s Education and Outreach staff partnered with the Scientific Ocean Drilling Communication Office to facilitate middle and high school educators working with scientists at the Gulf Coast Repository to analyze previously collected ocean core samples and develop data-rich classroom lessons. Check out the lessons on the Educational Resources Using Ocean Coring Data webpage.
CORAL STEM (Miami, FL | May 2026)
AGI partnered with the University of Miami on the Creating Opportunities for Research-Aligned Learning in STEM (CORAL STEM Research Experience for Teachers (RET), immersing secondary science educators in authentic marine geoscience research. Check out this video summarizing the program.
Education First Tours (Washington, D.C. | spring and summer 2026)
AGI Education Specialist Lindsay Mossa led educational activities for Education First (EF) Tour groups visiting Washington, D.C., throughout the spring and summer of 2026. Students explored flooding in the D.C. area and investigated how real-world data can be used to understand flood events and their impacts.
National Science Teachers Association spring conference (Anaheim, CA | April 2026)
AGI’s Education and Outreach specialists presented several sessions at the Spring 2026 NSTA Conference, held in Anaheim, California. Presentations included a poster session on AGI’s Career Explorer and workshops on soil chemistry, geoheritage resources, and sustainability. AGI also presented the Edward C. Roy Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8 Earth Science Teaching to Misti Newby.
AGI/ExxonMobil Teaching and Learning Academy (Alexandria, VA | March 2026)
AGI welcomed elementary and middle school science teachers to its headquarters for a full-day workshop featuring hands-on geoscience activities and approaches to effective science teaching. The workshop was part of AGI/ExxonMobil’s Teaching and Learning Academy, which took place throughout spring 2026 and extended its reach through local professional learning sessions led by past TLA participants in communities across the country.
Sycanmore School Career Visit (Arlington, VA | February 2026)
AGI Education Specialist Lindsay Mossa visited the Sycamore School to engage students in conversations about geoscience careers. The visit also provided an opportunity to learn more about students’ awareness of geoscience career pathways, as well as their interests and aspirations for the future.
Climate of H.O.P.E. conference (Downers Grove, IL | February 2026)
Lauren Brase, Education Specialist in the Education and Outreach Department at AGI, presented three workshops to formal and informal educators at the Climate of H.O.P.E conference on the Geoscience Career Explorer website and the Resilience and Innovation in Nature-based Stormwater Solutions (RAINSS) project.
STEM Night at Patrick Henry K-8 School (Alexandria, VA | February 2026)
Staff from AGI’s Education and Outreach Department participated in the annual STEM Night event at Patrick Henry K-8 School, engaging elementary students and their families in hands-on fossil-related activities.
Geoheritage Workshop for Educators (Reston, VA| January 2026)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and AGI led a professional development workshop on geoheritage for the 2025-2026 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows at the USGS headquarters. The fellows collaborated on education resources, such as Geoheritage Site Resource Collection and discussed the connections between minerals and geoheritage.
