STATCOM P-12 Outreach

http://www.stat.purdue.edu/external_relations/statcom/p12outreach/

by Gayla Olbricht

STATCOM Director

The STATCOM P-12 Outreach Program is an effort to increase interest and achievement in statistics at all pre-college levels in Indiana. The program is run by Statistics in the Community (STATCOM), a volunteer community outreach organization directed and staffed by graduate students in the Department of Statistics.

The program was developed during the 2004-2005 academic year by STATCOM members.   Since its inception, the group has successfully provided activities for nine events with the help of over 20 graduate student volunteers from the Department of Statistics.  The following list includes a summary of the most current events and activities.

2005

Purdue P-12 Engagement Forum:  April 22

A poster titled "STATCOM: K-12 Outreach" by Adam Reeger and Gayla Olbricht was presented at this forum for educators, legislators, and community leaders across Indiana.  The purpose of the forum was to discuss Indiana’s most pressing preschool through high school educational needs.  As part of the meeting, the poster session highlighted engagement activities that are already in place at Purdue so that attendees were made aware of services that could be utilized.

Camp Calcium:  July 18

Classroom activities were presented to adolescents participating in Purdue University’s Camp Calcium.  Campers learned about the Secretary Problem, how to compute the chances of winning a certain lottery game, as well as ideas about sampling and estimation.

Indiana State Fair:  August 17, Purdue Day

Activities for all ages were provided in the College of Science tent at the State Fair in Indianapolis. Fair-goers had the opportunity to participate in a version of “Let’s Make a Deal” where they learned about the Monty Hall Problem.  They could also try to beat the odds by playing and learning about the chances of winning a lottery game.

Purdue Homecoming:  October 15

A Texas Hold 'Em exhibit was held in the College of Science tent at Purdue’s Homecoming.  Participants had fun playing the game while learning some rules about probability.

2006

MATHCOUNTS:  February 11 (Regional) and March 11 (State)

Volunteers were provided for this middle-school math competition held at Purdue University.  STATCOM volunteers helped with grading tests.

Science Olympiad:  March 25

Volunteers were provided for this competition held at Purdue University. Students in grades 6-12 competed in science-related events throughout the day. Volunteers assisted with miscellaneous tasks to make the event a success.

Spring Fest 2006:  April 8-9

In 2005, the STATCOM P-12 Outreach team made their debut at Spring Fest.  The team provided activities at a booth on Memorial Mall to increase interest and involvement in statistics through the use of hands-on activities.  The booth was very successful, so the STATCOM P-12 Outreach team participated in this fun event for the second time this past spring.  This year, activities included:  Pie Charts with Smarties, Let’s Make a Deal – the Monty Hall Problem, Deal or No Deal, and a Birth Month Chart.  Visitors particularly enjoyed the Deal or No Deal exhibit as they could relate it to the popular new game show!  STATCOM volunteers also helped with the data management for the Entomology Department’s famous Cricket Spitting contest as well as presented a poster using the 2005 data. 

During the development of this program, the P-12 Outreach group has developed a website and a brochure which include a mission statement and list of potential activities the group offers.  The group has also had the opportunity to work with Bill Walker, Director for College of Science Outreach, and Ellen Gundlach, who became the advisor for the group in the Spring 2005 semester.  These two individuals have been very helpful in informing us about opportunities for our activities and providing us with advice about potential activities.  Finally, the group would like to thank the numerous student volunteers and other individuals who have helped in making this program a success!

We look forward to the continuing development of the program in the 2006-2007 academic year!

2005-2006 Team Members:

Jesse Cunningham

Paul Kidwell

Gayla Olbricht

Adam Reeger

Patricia Yoshida