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CoCoRaHS: Capitalizing on Technological Advancements to Expand Environmental Literacy Through a Successful Citizen Science Network

Nolan Doesken

Colorado State University


CoCoRaHS (The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network) is a citizen science program where thousands of volunteers across the entire country measure and report the amount of precipitation that falls each day in their own neighborhood. In the next three years CoCoRaHS will use strategies from the "Citizen Science Toolkit" and align activities to the "Essential Principles to Climate Science" to engage thousands more participants in collecting, reporting and exploring precipitation. Evapotranspiration measurements will be added to better teach and demonstrate the hydrologic cycle in action. Through strong NOAA partnerships with the National Weather Service, the National Climatic Data Center, the Earth Systems Research Lab and the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center, precipitation data quality and accessibility for professional users will be enhanced. The CoCoRaHS network will be constructing training, data entry and visualization tools utilizing Web 2.0 concepts, cyberlearning tools and hand-held device applications with a goal of increasing participation and expanding the current volunteer network into broader, younger, more diverse and more interactive audiences.

Funding agency NOAA
Through the funding program ELP

Award Numbers NA10SEC0080012

Selection Year:
2010

Award Period:
10/01/10 - 09/30/13

Products

Water Celebration

Water 2012" celebration and "Happy New Year" party

Audience Type: Students

Product Type: Civic Engagement

Precipitation App

Smartphone apps for visualizing precipitation patterns and time series for any lattitude/longitude in US.

Grade Level: Middle (6-8), High School (9-12)

Audience Type: Students

Product Type: Electronic Media & Tools

CoCoRaHS Network News

Daily messages to CoCORaHS online communities.

Audience Type: Students

Product Type: Electronic Media & Tools

PRISM

Today's rain & snow in climate history perspective (PRISM tool).

Audience Type: Students

Product Type: Electronic Media & Tools

Rocky Mountain Weather and Climate Workshop

Rocky Mountain Weather and Climate Workshop in collaboaration with NOAA and NCAR in Boulder, CO.

Product Type: Field Trips/Facilitated Programs

YouTube Videos on Precip

YouTube videos on how to measure and analyze precipitation.

Audience Type: Students

Volunteer Recruiting Handouts

CoCoRaHS volunteer recruiting handouts

Audience Type: Informal Educators

Lessons on measuring precip

Small set of lessons on: measuring precipitation; weather and climate applications of rainfall/snow data.

Grade Level: Primary (K-2), Intermediate (3-5), Middle (6-8), High School (9-12)

Audience Type: Students, Educators

Product Type: Curriculum

Monthly Webinars

Monthly webinars on assorted climate topics.

Product Type: Electronic Media & Tools, Professional Development

Measuring Precipitation and the Value of Observation

Webinar series: Measuring Precipitation and the Value of Observation

Product Type: Video/Radio/Webcasts

Climate & What Goes With It

Webinar series: Climate & What Goes With It

Product Type: Video/Radio/Webcasts