SBIR-STTR Award

Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States (more than hurricanes and tornadoes combined), and the heat island effect intensifies these health risks, often in low-resource urban areas. Our research team has previously piloted heat island measurement projects for citizen science research involving college students and as STEM learning experiences at the high school level. Through the pilot projects, our team has identified key usability hurdles that limit the wide-spread scalability and applicability of these activities. This SBIR Fast-Track Phase I/II proposal (called Heat Viz) aims to build and test an interactive digital media platform to enable heat island projects to be implementable by high schools across the country. The goal of the project is focused on improvements of four student outcomes 1. Content knowledge of relevant disciplinary core ideas around weather, climate, biogeology, and human impacts on the Earth 2. Increased proficiency with the scientific and engineering practices: planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, and arguing from evidence 3. Improved understanding of the health-risks of heat islands, how these are inequitably distributed among different groups, and what might be done to address these risks 4. Increased student interest in STEM and efficacy about how STEM can improve the lives of themselves and their communities The commercial outcome of the Heat Viz project would be to create a program that integrates sensors, software, lesson materials, and professional development into a modular instructional unit that educators can implement into their biology or Earth science curriculum. PocketLab will market and sell the Heat Viz program through our online store and through our network of 30+ resellers in the US and internationally. PocketLab will disseminate the research findings and market the Heat Viz program through our Science is Cool learning community which has engagements with 100K+ science educators.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
Project Narrative Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States (more than hurricanes and tornadoes combined), and the heat island effect intensifies these health risks, often in low-resource urban areas. Through the Heat Viz project, we can connect human health, environmental justice, and STEM education to prepare students to better address the public health risks of urban heat islands.

Project Terms:
Biology; Climate; Meteorological Climate; climatic; Communities; Educational Curriculum; Curriculum; lesson plans; Data Analyses; Data Analysis; data interpretation; Cessation of life; Death; Engineering; Goals; Health; Human; Modern Man; Hurricane; tropical cyclone; Learning; Maps; Marketing; Pilot Projects; pilot study; Public Health; Research; Resources; Research Resources; Risk; Schools; Science; Computer software; Software; Students; Temperature; Testing; Time; Tornadoes; United States; Weather; Work; Measures; urban location; urban region; urban area; sensor; improved; Phase; teacher; Measurement; Earth; Planet Earth; Community Outreach; Collaborations; randomized control trial; Randomized, Controlled Trials; tool; Knowledge; programs; Investigation; System; Country; Benchmarking; Best Practice Analysis; benchmark; interest; experience; university student; college student; high school; Address; Data; Education and Outreach; Instruction and Outreach; Training and Outreach; Tutoring and Outreach; International; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; SBIR; Small Business Innovation Research; Development; developmental; Instruction; cost; Outcome; usability; prototype; environmental justice; science, technology, engineering and math student; science, technology, engineering and mathematics student; STEM student; STEM Education; STEM knowledge; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education; science, technology, engineering and math knowledge; science, technology, engineering and mathematics knowledge; Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education; mobile app; mobile device application; mobile application; extreme heat; heat island; amateur science; amateur scientists; citizen scientists; civic science; crowd science; crowd-sourced science; scientific citizenship; citizen science; learning community; science educator; science professional; science teacher; digital media; Earth science; dashboard; Visualization; Inequity; digital platform

Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States (more than hurricanes and tornadoes combined), and the heat island effect intensifies these health risks, often in low-resource urban areas. Our research team has previously piloted heat island measurement projects for citizen science research involving college students and as STEM learning experiences at the high school level. Through the pilot projects, our team has identified key usability hurdles that limit the wide-spread scalability and applicability of these activities. This SBIR Fast-Track Phase I/II proposal (called Heat Viz) aims to build and test an interactive digital media platform to enable heat island projects to be implementable by high schools across the country. The goal of the project is focused on improvements of four student outcomes 1. Content knowledge of relevant disciplinary core ideas around weather, climate, biogeology, and human impacts on the Earth 2. Increased proficiency with the scientific and engineering practices: planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, and arguing from evidence 3. Improved understanding of the health-risks of heat islands, how these are inequitably distributed among different groups, and what might be done to address these risks 4. Increased student interest in STEM and efficacy about how STEM can improve the lives of themselves and their communities The commercial outcome of the Heat Viz project would be to create a program that integrates sensors, software, lesson materials, and professional development into a modular instructional unit that educators can implement into their biology or Earth science curriculum. PocketLab will market and sell the Heat Viz program through our online store and through our network of 30+ resellers in the US and internationally. PocketLab will disseminate the research findings and market the Heat Viz program through our Science is Cool learning community which has engagements with 100K+ science educators.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
Narrative Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States (more than hurricanes and tornadoes combined), and the heat island effect intensifies these health risks, often in low-resource urban areas. Through the Heat Viz project, we can connect human health, environmental justice, and STEM education to prepare students to better address the public health risks of urban heat islands. Terms: