American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS)
1444 I (Eye) Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC  20005
Phone: (202) 628-1500
www.aibs.org

For Immediate Release
30 January 2004

For more information, contact:
Timothy M. Beardsley, AIBS Editorial Director
202-628-1500 x 226
tbeardsley@aibs.org

Popular Web site endorsed by the National Association of Biology Teachers; will serve educators, students, and the general public

Washington DC.  The American Institute of Biological Sciences announces an important new step in fulfillment of its mission to advance research and education in the biological sciences. AIBS has acquired the award-winning, free-access Web site, ActionBioscience.org, a powerful resource for K–12 and undergraduate educators as well as students and the general public.  The site is located at www.ActionBioscience.org.

The site was created in 2000 by a private organization in Florida.  It includes a growing collection of topical, accessible articles by distinguished scientists, educators, and other writers on a wide range of biological subjects. The articles are organized into major subject themes in the biosciences that are of pressing scientific and societal impact.  The site’s current emphases are biodiversity, the environment, evolution, biotechnology, and genomics; a “new frontiers” section encompasses a variety of other topics at science’s growing points, and an education section addresses advances in teaching.  All content is peer-reviewed, and many articles are accompanied by lesson plans written by professional educators and keyed to US National Science Education Standards, with vetted links to teaching resources published online elsewhere. Many of the articles are translated into Spanish. E-mail alerts are sent out when new content goes online. Editorial oversight of ActionBioscience.org is provided by AIBS staff and an international editorial board of researchers and educators.  

Since its founding, ActionBioscience.org has attracted recognition for the high quality of its content and its ease of use. Scientific American awarded it a “best biology site” listing in 2003, and the previous year the US Department of Education’s Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education gave it an educational quality award. Over the last three years, the Web site has been accessed from 149 different countries, with page viewings in excess of 79,000 per month.  More than 100 universities and colleges have posted their course syllabi online showing ActionBioscience.org articles being used as a part of the course or as recommended reading. ActionBioscience.org is endorsed by the National Association of Biology Teachers (www.nabt.org), with whom AIBS plans to partner for the preparation of lesson plans and other teacher resources on the site.  "We heartily endorse ActionBioscience.org as a new AIBS website and service," says NABT Executive Director, Wayne Carley.  "We are excited you are able to continue and expand this valuable and rich resource for the community of biology educators." 

ActionBioscience.org founder, John O. Enander, states “I am pleased and honored that AIBS has committed to continue providing issue-based online bioscience resources for the public, educators, and decision-makers.  The driving philosophy of this Web site has always been: learn more, get involved, make a difference--AIBS will now carry on this important work."

Editorial Board member, Prof. Tim Berra, Department of Evolution, Ecology & Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, adds, "The acquisition of ActionBioscience.org by AIBS provides an important tool for improving the scientific literacy of students and the general public alike.  It follows in the same great tradition as other AIBS education initiatives, such as the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS), developed to advance US science and technology."

AIBS will expand and deepen the content at ActionBioscience.org, with plans to configure the Web site as a searchable node on BEN, the bioscience education online network (www.biosciednet.org) spearheaded by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).  Professional organizations such as AIBS work with AAAS to provide searchable access to the digital library collections of BEN partners in order to provide users worldwide with reliable biology education resources.

"These developments at AIBS underscore our commitment to using the best methods available to accomplish the goals our founders envisaged back in 1947," notes AIBS Executive Director, Richard O'Grady. "Along with other exciting expansions of AIBS education activities in 2004, including increased staffing of the AIBS Education Office, we believe that ActionBioscience.org will be a vital education and outreach resource." 

ActionBioscience.org is supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation [DUE 0085840 / DUE 0226185] to AAAS.  For information about submissions contact the continuing editor, Oksana Hlodan, at editor@actionbioscience.org or ohlodan@aibs.org.

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