Sep 21 2013
Council action
The governing council of the Society of Physics Students (SPS) and of Sigma Pi Sigma, the physics honor society, has approved the following statement for general dissemination.
The Society of Physics Students recognizes that outreach inspires scientific literacy while promoting public understanding of the benefits of physics education and research. Community and educational partnerships also foster curiosity and passion in the next generation. These activities enrich the experience of the participating undergraduate students as ambassadors of science by promoting a deeper commitment to their discipline. We are committed to providing programs, resources and opportunities that highlight physics and encourage community outreach partnerships.
Background
The SPS Council, which met at the American Center for Physics Sept. 19-22, 2013, includes 36 elected student and faculty representatives. The 2013 SPS Council voted to issue the preceding formal policy statement, something that has only happened a few times in the past, on outreach issues in the physics community; previous statement topics were evolution and cosmology in the classroom, ethics education, undergraduate research, and most recently, diversity (see all SPS Statements here).