Hey There Scientists, Curious Individuals, and Science Fans, I think this is one of the best place to post this in. I don't think there are many other place on the internet that match this forum for the raw amount of passion for science. As the title says I would like to start a non-profit that is focused, initially, on scientific literacy for teenagers in the U.S.A. Science has always been a hobby, passion, and way of life for me. As a child I watched every episode of shows Bill Nye the Science Guy and Beekman's world. As an adult I live on science documentaries. I would like to help kindle that passion and interests in others. I think the best way to do that is through the creation of a 501.3(c) non-profit organization dedicated to this cause. The results from the 2013 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that teenagers in the U.S. slipped from 20th to 24th in science since 2009, and down from 15th since 2000, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, which gathers and analyzes the data in the U.S. This is lower than countries such as Viet Nam and the Czech Republic. Particularly in today’s quest for knowledge based economies, science, technology and engineering are the basic prerequisites for success. It's time that we help reverse this downward trend, both so our teenagers feel the glee and excitement from learning about how the world works, and for the future of the economy. I would like your help in doing so. I'm currently in the process of putting together a team to make this vision a reality. We're going to need people good at copy, science consultants, maybe a graphic designer, and more. If you would like to volunteer for something like this and feel like you have some skills you can contribute please feel free to send me a message here or reply to this forum post. Thank you for reading and I look forward to your responses.
I think your idea is a good one but raising funds for a non-profit is far from easy. From my experience, few non-profits benefit their founders financially. And most that do benefit are often running a "shady" non-profit that others would not respect if they knew the details. I am one of the directors for one non-profit and a supporting member of another . I am the founder and chief director of my own new science related non-profit. The funding will come from my own business efforts. Later I will solicit grant money. Public Donations are the most difficult, and large private funding and grants are available to only the most savvy operators regardless of the cause. I see Science Charity is the name you have chosen here, cool! So good luck on your idea. To make it work from donated moneys is very difficult. You need to find out a lot about it before spending your money to start such a charity. The process is very similar to forming a corporation. If you decide to go ahead with this idea, you could PM me and I could give you some tips and maybe help you in other ways.
Didn't you say THIS was "one of the best place to post this in"? http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/...it-dedicated-to-science-and-i-need-your-help/ Oh, yeah... Well... ummm... Pray tell, how do we differentiate your post from SPAM?
Might want to consider joining a crowd-funding site like kickstarter. I bet there are also govt grants available.
Are you this person too? http://www.thescienceforum.com/intr...d-up-some-great-contacts-help-me-my-blog.html
As I said before, beer w/straw is the girly thing to do for those women/ girls that like to drink beer Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
At the heart of the scientific method lies, I suggest, honesty. A scientist adhering to the scientific method will not falsify results, will not cherry pick data, will not ignore contrary evidence and will report their findings as accurately as possible. It is therefore disappointing to see you adopting a dishonest approach in promoting what is, in principle, a commendable goal. You post the same message praising the quality of the site on multiple forums, implying that we have been singled out. Not good. It would have been so simple to say, after introducing that goal, "I am passionate about this plan, but need support to make it a reality. So I am posting this same message on forums and other sites around the internet. I hope some members of this forum will wish to be part of the project." Instead we get a cheap con trick that is simultaneously blatant and disrespectful. Your goal is a fine one, but without a major change in your attitude you are not the person to implement it. You have displayed none of the respect or intelligence necessary for that. In summary: deeply disappointing.
I tend to agree with Ophiolite's POV. Yes the steady decline in US teenage science literacy is deplorable, but there are many internet cites already that a serious student wanting to learn math, physics, chemistry etc. can turn to get help, including this one although cite physics.org (or some name like that) may be better (have more experts active). I stay here as there are more "science idiots" active here. I like to teach and correcting them is a chance to do so (even if they themselves, seldom learn, others reading may) without seeming to be pedantic I think one popular football player saying: "Hit the books. Get educated, so you don't need to hit bodies and be hit in turn to make a living, as I do." would do more good to reverse this downward trend than yet another "science cite." Especially if he also added: "I was lucky to be blessed with exceptional natural talent I could develop. - I'm 1 in 10,000 who "made it" this way. Most, probably you, will need a part time job to make ends meet - put food on the table. I go to night school now as these old bones won't take much more of this abuse - I need and want to do something more productive than just be an entertainer. If that was my calling, and I had been a little smarter, I would have become a "stand up comedian," or an actor, not some other player's punching bag while trying to move the pig skin forward a few feet.."
I agree this is a quality site, Billy T. I like everyone I have met here so far, and am trying harder these days not to step on too many raw nerves. Anyone's point of view is as valid as mine, and I have learned more points of view about more topics here than I was able to do on any other science forum. Physforum is also a good one, and seems very popular in India as well. They sometimes have a unique perspective on science as well, I couldn't fail to notice.
