NCSE Activities

The National Center for Science Education, founded in 1981, engages in a number of activities advancing two primary goals: improving and supporting education in evolution and the nature of science, and increasing public understanding of these subjects. This work is supported primarily by membership contributions, with some additional assistance from grants.

Grass roots work

NCSE provides information and guidance to citizens faced with local creationist challenges:

• Expert testimony for school board hearings
• Advice on how to organize - including referrals to others who have faced similar problems
• Information (including article reprints) on evolution, "creation science" , and the evolution/creation controversy

Publications

• Reports of the National Center for Science Education, a bi monthly journal with news of current events; discussion and commentary on issues in evolution education and the creation/evolution controversy; resources for evolution education; scholarly refutations of "scientific evidence against evolution"; and reports on developments in evolutionary science and on public understanding of the issues.
• Reviews of Creationist Books -- scientific evaluations of creationist textbooks
• Voices for Evolution -- position statements by scientific, educational, religious, and civil liberties organizations
• Pamphlets on specific topics
• Assistance to educators
• Directly or through our state representatives and local volunteers, NCSE participates in curriculum development and text reviews
• NCSE offers workshops at teachers' conferences on how to teach about evolution
• NCSE answers requests from teachers concerning methods and materials for teaching evolution
• NCSE's Pre-Publication Review Project helps publishers locate scientists who review textbooks for accurate, up-to-date content

Educating the Public Through the Media

• NCSE provides background material and commentary to journalists who are covering the creationism controversy
• Executive Director Eugenie Scott, Ph.D. , writes articles about science education, and the problems posed by creationism, for numerous general, scientific, and educational publications
• NCSE's speakers, especially Dr. Scott, participate as guests on national and local radio and television programs

Networking With Other Organizations

• Referrals: People concerned about other issues frequently call and are given referrals to appropriate organizations (for example, anti-censorship groups); these other organizations also refer people concerned about evolution/creation conflicts to NCSE
• Consultations: NCSE provides expert witness referrals and/or consultation to legal organizations in litigating creation/evolution cases
• Speakers' bureau: NCSE sends speakers to scientific, educational, legal and civil liberties organizations, informing them of the issues and recent events
• News and information sharing: Examples -- A speaker for a civil liberties organization who had been invited to take part in a radio talk show reviewed NCSE-provided materials to prepare for questions concerning creationism; organizations preparing reports on the state of education, and controversies in education, contact NCSE for information about science education and the creation/evolution controversy
• Coordinated action: Other organizations call NCSE for assistance with local problems. For example, when the Vilas Park Zoo, a public zoo in Wisconsin, set up a creationist display, an organization there contacted NCSE, and our state representative and local members helped zoo personnel prepare a scientifically accurate replacement.