Press Release
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Math and Science in Diverse Media:
Reporting Stories that Affect Our Lives
*Lawrence Hall of Science Ethnic Media Roundtable
February 28, 2008*
About Science and Math in the Spanish-Language Media
Today’s roundtable is offered through Science and Mathematics in the Spanish-Language Media, a project of Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) and New America Media funded by the National Science Foundation. The project brings together science centers, media outlets, and community-based organizations to deliver science and math activities in Latino/Hispanic communities traditionally underserved by science centers.
Components include:
- Placement of science and math activity cartoons in newspapers
- Development of a project web site where the cartoons can be downloaded and used by the general public as well as by museum, media, and educational organizations
- Family classes in the community
- Promotion of visits to science museums
- Participation in community festivals
The Children's Museum of Houston and the Miami Science Museum are museum partners and will be working with newspapers in their areas.
The cartoons focus on siblings Mateo and Cientina, who discover and share the math and science behind everyday activities in and around their home. All activities complement the school mathematics and science curriculum and are developed by LHS. Aimed at families with children 7 to 10 years old, they emphasize problem-solving approaches and the appreciation of mathematics content and the scientific process.
Project Staff:
José Franco, Project Director
Grace Dávila Coates, Director, FAMILY MATH
Verónica Urdaneta, Public Information Officer/Community Liaison
Barbara Ando, LHS Associate Director
Linda Schneider, Director of Marketing
About David Olmos
David Olmos is a veteran journalist who specializes in health and medical issues. He is currently developing a plan for an independent nonprofit journalism organization to focus on health-care issues in California. He is also the recipient of a 2008 Kaiser Fellowship for Global Health Reporting for a project about HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Central America. A former editor and reporter for the Los Angeles Times, he was a cofinalist for the 1996 Pulitzer Prize in explanatory journalism for a five-part series that explored the impact of managed health care in California.
From 2005 to 2007, Olmos was director of publishing and communications for the California Healthcare Foundation, where he oversaw public and media relations and led development of new online publishing and communications products. Prior to that, he worked for 18 years as an editor and reporter for the Los Angeles Times. At the Times he served as editor of the newspaper's award-winning weekly health section for eight years, leading efforts to cover important medical and consumer news affecting Southern Californians.
Earlier in his career he worked for newspapers in North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Oregon. He is the author of the book, National Defense Spending: How Much is Enough? A native of Southern California, he received a master's degree in communications studies from Fairfield University and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. He lives in Oakland with his wife, Deborah, and their 10-year-old daughter.
About Alan Gould
Alan Gould is Director of Holt Planetarium at Lawrence Hall of Science. The planetarium is known for its innovative audience-participation shows. He is also NASA Kepler Mission Co-Investigator for Education Outreach. The Kepler Mission, a NASA Discovery mission, is specifically designed to survey our region of the Milky Way galaxy to detect and characterize hundreds of Earth-size and smaller planets in or near the habitable zone. The zone encompasses the distances from a star where liquid water can exist on a planet's surface.
About Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley
The mission of the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) is to inspire and foster learning of science and mathematics for all. LHS is the public science center of the University of California, Berkeley, and an innovative leader in the field of science and mathematics education. LHS engages students and their families in exciting science and mathematics at LHS as well as in their classrooms, schools, and communities; designs and disseminates effective instructional materials and exhibits; and creates distinctive learning and leadership opportunities for educators. LHS is committed to serving all, especially those with limited access to science and mathematics.
Director: Elizabeth K. Stage
Communications contact: Verónica Urdaneta, LHS Public Information Officer, (510) 643-3849
