The American Association for the Advancement of Science, on behalf of theInternational Council for Science (ICSU) Committee for Capacity Building in Science(CCBS), requests support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the planning and implementation of an international conference to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from September 21-23, 2002. The 3 day conference would be organized by the ICSU (ICSU) Committee for Capacity Building in Science (CCBS) and would be held in conjunction with the ICSU General Assembly, also in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The premise of the conference is that high quality basic science and mathematics education is a requirement for sustainable development around the globe. To meet this requirement, the very poor quality of science and mathematics education must be addressed, particularly in developing countries. The focus of the conference is to discuss, develop and initiate programs of action to promote the improvement of science and mathematics education around the world. The conference is primarily intended for educators, scientists and policy makers in both developing and developed countries who work at the K-8 levels. The conference will provide examples of collaborative models that connect scientists and educators such as through informal groups, professional science organizations and academies of science. It will also address and analyze international science and mathematics reform efforts and continue the work of ICSU to build a community of scientists deeply engaged in and committed to the improvement of basic education.
