Schools’ ‘Data Jam’ continues at Asombro Institute

Desert Data Jam is underway at Asombro Institute for Science Education (AISE).

Hosted by the nonprofit AISE and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Jornada Experimental Range and schools in southern New Mexico, the jam is continuing through April 25, with about 350 students and teachers participating from Vista, Sierra, Picacho and Zia middle schools and White Sands School, AISE Communications and Operations Coordinator Amy Tront said.

For the competition, students are provided with real datasets collected locally, AISE said. They “learn how to use data to answer questions and then design a creative project and presentation board about data trends. Past creative projects have included children’s books, songs, videos, physical models, infographics and games.”

The top three projects from each participating class earn a place in a finals competition that will be held April 25-27 at New Mexico State University, with cash prizes ($300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third) and other awards presented.

“Desert Data Jam is not like a science fair, students will not be collecting data, instead they will be looking for data trends and communicating the data and trends through their presentation boards and creative projects,” AISE said.

This year is the 12^th jam, and the first one held in person in two years because of the pandemic.

The Asombro (the Spanish word for “wonder”) Institute “is dedicated to increasing natural science literacy through engaging, place-based education,” according to the AISE website. It provides thousands of children and adults with hands-on, inquiry-based science education programs each year in classrooms, schoolyards and the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park north of Las Cruces.

AISE was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1990 as the Las Cruces Nature Park. It was renamed Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park in 1997 and AISE in 2008.

Grant received

The New Mexico Public Education Department recently awarded AISE a New Mexico Outdoor Learning start-up grant to develop and launch a new "Schoolyard Field Trip" program, where Asombro will work with Las Cruces Public Schools to bring “a well-rounded, full-functioning, educational field trip experience to schools right in their own schoolyards,” AISE said.

The program helps schools that have a hard time finding funds for field trips to still have a fun and educational field trip, AISE said.

Contact Tront at 575-524-3334 and amy@asombro.org. Visit www.asombro.org/desert-data-jam.