I became fascinated with the outdoors as a teenager through an outdoor education program. A mountaineer took us on a backpacking trip to explore the Sierras. I hope to be able to offer motivation to kids the same way that a mountaineer inspired me. My experience has ranged from working with kids in rural schools in Nicaragua and Bolivia to sharing my experiences with community groups of California's Central Valley. At the moment I am working on an initiative to increase awareness of sciene opportunities with school groups. By working with school groups I hope to
1) Demystify the process of scientific inquiry
2) Increase the exposure and interaction of school kids with scientists of diverse backgrounds
3) Talk about science in a way that is useful for teachers in the K-12 education system. In collaboration with Newt Rockney (science communicator) and Sarah Pipping (science educator) we have created videos that illustrate my personal background that led me to become a scientist and an inquiry-based lesson plan based on a collaborative research project for 9-12th grade that meets NGSS requirements.