On July 30th, eight high school students and four teachers from the United States traveled to Tokyo to participate in the third annual TOMODACHI Toshiba Science and Leadership Academy. The goal of our trip was to work with Japanese students and teachers on two science and engineering projects that I will also be implementing in my classroom this year. The first project was to build a marble elevator using the engineering and design process and the second project was to use science and technology ideas to improve a real-life community by making it smarter and more disaster-resilient. At the closing ceremonies each group presented their suggestions for one of the following communities: Jakarta, Beijing, Lesbos, or Kuchineorabu-jima.

To help research the community design, our group visited the Toshiba Science Museum to learn more about smart community design and the Tokyo Skytree tower where we learned about earthquake resistant architecture. Taichi Furuhashi from Crisis Mappers Japan brought his drone and spoke with our group about disaster mapping. Students also had the chance to practice 3D mapping by collecting data about the building around the center where we were staying and updating online maps. We also visited the Life Safety Learning Center, a hands-on disaster readiness and prevention facility.

The Tomodachi Initiative was born out of support for Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 and walking around Tokyo made it very clear how disaster conscious the city and Japanese people are in the wake of the earthquake. On the sides of construction sites in Harajuku I saw signs in Japanese and English reading “Are you sure and safe? Don’t let earthquakes turn over, knock down, or move the furniture” and markers in subway entrances told you how many meters above sea level you are so you can find higher ground in the event of a tidal wave. Nowhere was this focus on disaster prevention more evident than in the Life Safety Learning Center.

In the center we practiced putting out a fire on a screen using water-filled extinguishers and escaped from a series smoke-filled rooms by staying low to the ground. We also experienced typhoon force winds in a simulator. Unfortunately due to a drought were were not able to don the waterproof boots and jackets and experience the “rain” along with the wind. Just before leaving we took turns experiencing what it feels like to be in a magnitude 7 earthquake on the center’s earthquake simulator, complete with falling foam furniture.

We also watched an informational cartoon about three Japanese children discussing how the next big earthquake could occur at any time. Then, the children magically travel back in time to visit three different earthquake events, one being the Great East Japan Earthquake. With each visit the children learn valuable lessons about being prepared and cooperation during a disaster. The video ends with the children back in their classrooms presenting to their classmates about the importance of being prepared when an earthquake strikes. This is foreshadowed by the students discussing in a previous scene about how the next big earthquake could occur at any time.

I was shocked by how disaster conscious the Japanese culture was. In Chicago we have our students complete a tornado drill every school year, but I could never imagine a disaster learning center in the city nor signs on buildings reminding residents to be prepared for flooding even though it is becoming more and more common in the city. In general, I think in our country we have a tendency to shelter our students and children from the existence of natural disasters rather than prepare them for their inevitable occurrence.

Over the past year our country has been ravaged by massive flooding, record-setting blizzards, and drought-fueled fires, and unfortunately events like these will become more common as the affects of climate change continue to unfold. As science educators, we are in the unique position to discuss these events with our students and challenge them to design new ways to raise awareness and protect against natural disasters.

Inspired by my trip, this year I will be challenging my senior-level environmental science students with the same community redesign challenge that the students completed as part of the Tomodachi Toshiba Science and Leadership Academy. We need to provide our students with more opportunities to solve real-life problems that affect individuals from a local to global level. Not only do these opportunities hook and engage students in the science and engineering practices, but they also open students up to future college and career pathways that they might not have been exposed to otherwise.

NSTA guest blogger Michael Kosko is the Science Chair and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Coordinator at Al Raby School for Community and Environment in Chicago, IL. Kosko teaches environmental science and a STEM design course and runs the school’s hydroponic grow lab and new makerspace. Follow him on Twitter @MrKosko.

For more photos from this year’s TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy please click here.

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School Science Budget Changes

 Five years ago, 67% of science educators participating in an informal NSTA Reports poll reported their typical school budget for classroom supplies was less than $500, and 27% expected to spend more than $500 of their own money on classroom supplies. This summer, Reports again asked educators about their school budgets, and found only 12% report budget increases over the last five years, while 41% say budgets have decreased, 40% say they haven’t changed, and 7% say they don’t know. A majority (61%) say their typical annual school budget for classroom supplies is less than $500; 13% have budgets between $500 and $1,000; 10% between $1,001 and $1,500; and 16% have budgets that exceed $1,500. Only 25% of educators report their school budgets allow for breakage, upgrades, chemical disposal, and/ or annual repairs and maintenance.

Educators’ out-of-pocket spending

Science educators continue to dip into their own pockets to supply their classrooms and labs: 23% reported spending more than $500 of their own money, and another 21% spent between $301 and $500 last year. They believe that trend will continue, with 31% reporting they expect to spend between $301 and $500 in the current school year, and another 33% estimating they will likely spend $101–$300. Consumable lab supplies were the most common items bought (69%).

To extend budgets, 82% reported they share supplies and equipment with other teachers. In addition, 10% apply for grants at least once a semester, while 18% do so annually. About half (51%) of poll participants said they are able to receive donations of supplies or equipment from local businesses, hospitals, or universities, with 22% unsure if they could.

Educators most often turn to colleagues in the same school or district for budget-friendly ideas for labs (55%); social media such as Twitter and Facebook (53%); NSTA journals and books (37%); and other professional publications (34%). (Respondents could select multiple options.)

The tight budgets are affecting students’ experience: 63% report dropping a planned lab at least once a year because supplies were not affordable. Only 11% of respondents said they have never done so.

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Here’s how science educators say they try to address budget shortfalls:

Beg, borrow, and plead!—Administrator, Elementary, Colorado
Unfortunately, it’s to drop a lab. —Educator, High School, Illinois
Not my favorite, but the most effective is to ask for donations of everyday objects from students. Most of my parents want to help, but don’t know what the classrooms need.—Educator, Middle School, West Virginia
[I offer] extra credit to students [who] bring in lab supplies that can be found within their homes.—Educator, Middle School, Texas
Using NSTA publications are the best resource for inexpensive lab ideas. —Educator, High School, Institution of Higher Learning, Kentucky
Teaching the kids that we can reuse many items [that] might otherwise be seen as consumables. Shopping sales.—Educator, Elementary, Middle School, Illinois
Buying some items with classroom supply list.—Educator, Middle School, Indiana
I love using Freecycle to ask for supplies.— Educator, Middle School, High School, Colorado
Microscale the labs, and sometimes just [doing] a demonstration (which is not my favorite strategy).—Educator, High School, North Carolina
Alas, it’s not my favorite or preferred strategy, but not doing labs when I don’t have the facilities, materials, and equipment.— Educator, High School, Hawaii
Request private donations from philanthropists.— Educator, Middle School, Texas
Donors Choose.—Educator, Middle School, District of Columbia
Reusable supplies.—Educator, Middle School, Montana Calling supply companies to get discounts.—Educator, High School, Michigan
We ask students to pay a lab fee that helps us increase our budget by a substantial amount.—Educator, Middle School, Kentucky
Keeping a continual classroom wish list.—Educator, Middle School, High School, Texas
Reuse, recycle.—Educator, Elementary, Georgia
Try to pull consumable resources from other departments, such as food resources and office supplies from the office.—Educator, Middle School, Florida
Teams and groups sharing materials; cleaning and reusing; order once and copycat.—Educator, High School, California
Go as cheap as possible. Dollar store is visited frequently.—Educator, Middle School, Texas
Provide students “data” to work with had they been able to collect their own with [a] complete inquiry. Only complete one trial per lab group, and use each group’s results as a trial with class data.—Educator, Middle School, Florida
Using labs that are reusable every year or only require household items. —Educator, Middle School, High School, Oklahoma
Pairing up and group work.—Educator, High School, United Kingdom
Do not order separately; all teachers together, and get a quote from the vendor; usually get free shipping and discounted items!—Educator, High School, California
Change the lesson to one that supports [the] idea, if not the experience. —Educator, Elementary, New Jersey
Buy more in bulk when possible to save on cost.—Educator, High School, Virginia
Planning ahead as much as I can, and asking others in my school or district for donations.—Educator, Elementary, California
Buy at secondhand stores and home improvement stores.—Educator, High School, Washington
Borrow supplies.—Educator, Middle School, Oregon
Demos or larger groups.—Educator, High School, North Carolina
We collaborate as a science team so we don’t double-order materials we can all share.—Educator, Middle School, Illinois
Using [a] unit plan to prioritize equipment and supply needs.—Educator, High School, Maryland
I inherited a pencil machine and collect 25 cents for every pencil. I use this to buy consumables.—Educator, Middle School, Colorado
Larger groups and microscale labs. —Educator, High School, Indiana
Having kids work in groups (as opposed to pairs or threes) to make supplies last longer.—Educator, Elementary, Middle School, Connecticut
Collaborate with colleagues to use [one an]other’s leftovers.—Educator, High School, Michigan
I look for activities and experiments that can be done with the same equipment.— Educator, Middle School, Iowa
Small quantit[ies] with large lab groups. No two-partner groups; typically 4–5 students for one small lab.—Educator, High School, Georgia
Taking a lab that uses an expensive chemical and finding a cheaper local alternative!—Educator, High School, Michigan
As a chemistry teacher, [I have] a simple way to connect my content to my students’ daily lives: …to do labs with kitchen chemicals. They’re usually cheap, and I always get kids who come in the next day and tell me they talked about (or did) the experiment again at home with their family.—Educator, High School, Michigan
Encouraging team members to apply for grants as they become available. —Educator, High School, Texas

This article originally appeared in the September 2016 issue of NSTA Reports, the member newspaper of the National Science Teachers Association. Each month, NSTA members receive NSTA Reports, featuring news on science education, the association, and more. Not a member? Learn how NSTA can help you become the best science teacher you can be.

The mission of NSTA is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.

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