B.I.G. is an informal earth science education program for students in local junior and senior high schools. This unique outreach program began in the fall of 1995 as an experimental extension to the normal outreach efforts of the Department of Geology on the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale campus. The B.I.G. program was developed by Harvey Henson a geophysicist with the Department of Geology.

The goals of the B.I.G. program are: 1) to teach student participants basic geology and geology-related concepts through problem-based and experiential learning, applied research, and mentoring, 2) to develop each student's focus on and appreciation for education, and 3) to have fun.

Mentoring is the essential ingredient to this unique program. Mentored students are challenged to solve earth science related problems using standard scientific methods. Although B.I.G. students have disparate academic backgrounds, both student participants and parents report improved academic focus and performance after being involved in the B.I.G. program.

B.I.G. participants are involved in real science; they gather data, conduct detailed research and analysis, and present their results. Sometimes the results from our research projects are published and presented at scientific conferences. Excellence, as often measured by academic standards, is not a prerequisite for students participating in the B.I.G. program, but it is one of the rewards.

Current BIG Projects

If you are interested in joining us or learning more about the B.I.G. group, contact Harvey Henson (henson@geo.siu.edu) in the Department of Geology by phone at 618-453-7349.

"A hundred years from now. . . it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. . . but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child." Anonymous

SIUC / College of Science / Geology / BIG
URL: http://www.geology.siu.edu/big/index.html
Written by Harvey Henson and the BIG Students