Contact: Pamela B. Keiper
(216) 231-2600, ext. 211

OHIO CITIZENS FOR SCIENCE TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE
AT THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, FEBRUARY 7

The Ohio Citizens for Science (OCS), a newly formed statewide educational organization, will hold a press conference on Thursday, February 7, at 1 p.m. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is providing the site.

The two-fold purpose of the conference is to introduce Ohio Citizens for Science to the media and public and to express the organization's opposition to the introduction of intelligent design "theory" or any other anti-scientific concept into the science standards for Ohio's public schools.

A packet of resource material will be made available to media at the press conference.

The press conference panel consists of OCS members Pamela B. Keiper, coordinator of the Science Resource Center at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Patricia Princehouse of the Philosophy Department at Case Western Reserve University and Dr. Joseph F. Koonce, chair of the Biology Department at CWRU. Other panel members are Dr. Lawrence Krauss, chair of the Physics Department and professor of Astronomy at CWRU and Dr. Bruce Latimer, Museum executive director and curator of Physical Anthropology.

Keiper will welcome you and give an introduction. Koonce will give an overview of the Ohio Citizens for Science organization. He will also discuss the proposed changes to Ohio's science standards for public schools and the recent politically-based challenge which seeks to insert the non-science concept of "intelligent design." Princehouse will talk more in detail about OCS, which supports the teaching of leading scientific theories and methods of inquiry in all fields of science, including biology where the evolutionary theory is the foundation. She will also discuss the history of the creationism/evolution controversy. Next the internationally renowned physicist, Dr. Lawrence Krauss, author of The Physics of Star Trek, will address the issue of what science is. Dr. Bruce Latimer will make closing remarks.

The Ohio Citizens for Science is a non-profit organization with the goal of improving Ohio Student's knowledge about the world of science and increasing their contact with working scientists of all different fields. OCS members represent a great diversity of religions, political views, philosophies, and scientific traditions. Keiper said, "The members share a common goal of improving science education in Ohio schools for the good of our communities, state, country and the world."

OCS has short- and long-range objectives for supporting the integrity of public school science standards and promoting contact with working scientists. Under science standards, short range - the organization is committed to defending the current draft of the Ohio science standards from political attack. Long range, the group will work to raise the level of scientific literacy in Ohio so that in 5 or 10 years when the standards are reviewed and updated, they will include even more science in the curricula.

To aid both short- and long-range goals, OCS has complied a list of volunteer speakers will to speak free of charge about the role of evolutionary theory in science today and about their field of science to students and community groups so residents can understand why it is essential to include evolution and other scientific theories in Ohio's science standards. OCS will also promote student contact with scientists in all science fields through visits by experts to Ohio's secondary schools and, in turn, student visits to universities, businesses, laboratories and other sites of scientific activity.

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is at 1 Wade Oval Drive, in University Circle, Cleveland, OH.

For more information, call Pamela Keiper at 216-231-4600, ext. 211 or visit the organization's website at www.ohioscience.org.