Our Driving Principles
VirtualGEO’s primary mission is to increase science engagement amongst the public and in K-12 and University settings, as well as promote equitable access to geoscience content at all educational levels. While fully achieving these goals is a monumental tasks, the VirtualGEO team addresses these challenges in 3 ways.
Research
- Conduct research in a variety of landscapes using modern imaging technology.
- Focus on areas with little to no information from previous studies.
- Involve graduate and undergraduate students in all aspects of the research process to train the next generation of scientists.
- Recruit students and faculty to collaborate with from a diverse background.
Virtual Content
- Digitize outcrops and hand samples from a wide range of field locations for broad distribution.
- Provide free access to digital content for use in education and outreach.
- Work with professors and teachers to determine new field targets for surveying and digitization to provide remote access to field sites.
Outreach
- Work with stakeholders to determine field sites for future study.
- Develop plain language site reports for stakeholders, policy makers, property owners, etc. on the results of investigations.
- Create and distribute lesson plans and activities for the public and K-12 education for free on the VirtualGEO website.
- Work with the Rutgers Geology Museum to present key concepts at public events.