Public Affairs and Outreach

NOAA Weather Partners Educational Outreach

D. Thompson (primary – CIMMS at NSSL) and Tarp

Objectives
Provide outreach to the public on the activities of the NOAA Weather Partners in Norman.

Accomplishments
NOAA’s Weather Partners offer scheduled tours of the National Weather Center (NWC) throughout the work week for groups interested in learning more about the five NOAA organizations in Norman. These tours are offered to anyone from 3rd grade and up. Between 1 July 2006 and 30 June 2007 more than 3,000 people visited the building during 168 scheduled tours. Tours have been given to public school groups, homeschooled children, private schools, church groups, engineering groups, senior citizen groups, and many others. In the summer of 2007, many science, math, and aeronautic camps also visited the building.

A tour of the NWC includes a presentation about the NSSL along with a weather safety lesson. Visitors then see the 7th floor observatory where the NSSL and ROC radars located on the north edge of Norman are pointed out. The training activities of the WDTB are also discussed. On the second floor, the forecast floors of the SPC and Norman WFO are toured so that visitors can see forecasters at work and learn about the watch/warning process.

Besides the scheduled tours, other large events showcased the various research and forecasting of the NOAA Weather Partners to the public. Among such events, an estimated 3,000 people attended the National Weather Festival on 4 November 2006, 600 visitors came for the Norman Public Librarysponsored Big Read on 9 February 2007, and numerous others toured the building during its official dedication in September 2006.

Additional highlights included tours provided to 200 students attending the Jr. ROTC Honors Camp at the University of Oklahoma, 175 students attending the Lead America program for young pilots, individuals in a French Rotary exchange group, math and science teachers from across Oklahoma, and many families with children interested in becoming meteorologists.

This activity is ongoing.

Daphne Thompson provides a tour presentation to Jr. ROTC Honors Camp participants.