Conference participants represented such organizations such as the National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Institutes of Health, and National Science Teachers Association. They focused on developing recommendations that individuals and organizations can employ to support good science education, emphasizing evolution as a unifying theme across all scientific disciplines.
Evolutionary science is economically and socially relevant.
Modern research in agriculture, medicine and human health, and global environmental change depend on understanding evolutionary concepts. Whether we're talking about the Human Genome Project, resistance of microbes to antibiotics, or the causes of cancer, evolution is fundamental. On the subject of public education, participants expressed concern for students who are not learning evolutionary science. Concerned scientists and educators also discussed the challenges faced by those who teach evolution. They include well-publicized politics at state and local levels such as those made famous most recently in Kansas.