The support takes several forms. The communications that happen within the Community can be a challenge, but they are also a means of support. As the teachers talk, they learn from and support each other. Also, the EarthKAM team educators, scientists, and specialists is part of the Community. The team runs online workshops, hosts chat sessions, responds to questions, and develops new support pieces as the Community finds gaps or identifies unanticipated opportunities.
Professional development is a vital part of any scaling-up effort.
As more teachers join a program, less and less personal support can be provided. Therefore, more support is needed just when support becomes more difficult to provide. The time and labor limitations of in-person workshops mean that we need alternatives. The EarthKAM team is designing workshop materials for use by all, in an effort to further enable teacher training and professional development. These materials are the preparations, procedures, and support pieces needed to conduct workshops on exploring EarthKAM images, planning an EarthKAM Investigation, and so forth.