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History of The GLOBE Program
Announced in 1994, GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) began operations on Earth Day 1995. Today, the international GLOBE network has grown to include representatives from more than 125 participating countries coordinating GLOBE activities that are integrated into their local and regional communities.
1998: Finland hosts the first GLOBE Learning Expedition in Helsinki.
1999: Dr. Ming Ying Wei becomes the first Program Manager for The GLOBE Program.
2000: The U.S. hosts the second GLOBE Learning Expedition in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
2003: Croatia hosts the third GLOBE Learning Expedition, held in Sibenik. NASA becomes the leading agency for The GLOBE Program.
2004: GLOBE receives the Goldman Sachs Award for being an "outstanding program that makes use of media/technology to educate students or teachers about other world regions and cultures, or international issues.”
2005: GLOBE celebrates its 10th birthday on Earth Day with 15,000 schools in 106 countries.
2008: South Africa hosts the fourth GLOBE Learning Expedition in Cape Town.
2009: GLOBE establishes Regional Offices in Africa, Asia and Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East and North Africa and North America to support professional development workshops, capacity building and regional sustainability efforts. The data in GLOBE's database reaches 20 million measurements.
2011: GLOBE launches Student Research Campaigns.
2014: India hosts the fifth GLOBE Learning Expedition in New Delhi. The GLOBE Implementation Office (GIO) is formed.
2015: GLOBE celebrates its 20th birthday on Earth Day. GLOBE launches its new mobile data entry app, offering 51 protocols. GLOBE data reaches 128 million measurements.
2016: GLOBE launches its online eTraining modules. GLOBE hosts the International Virtual Science Fair (IVSS), six regional U.S. science fairs and various student scientific campaigns. The GLOBE Program's app, GLOBE Observer, is launched, expanding GLOBE's reach to citizen scientists and increasing the total number of measurements and participants in the program.
2017: Data reaches 140 million measurements. Dr. Allison Leidner becomes the Program Manager for The GLOBE Program. IVSS participation increases and garners more worldwide representation. GLOBE's new mosquito protocol launched.
2018: Ireland hosts the sixth GLOBE Learning Expedition in Killarney. GLOBE data reaches 150 million measurements. The U.S. Department of State initiative on mosquito education launched. All six GLOBE regions entered over one million measurements into the GLOBE database.
2019: GLOBE, through the GLOBE Zika Education and Prevention Project, connects with Google Voyager to highlight GLOBE’s story, “Stopping the Spread of Zika.” The GLOBE Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force is established.
2020: The GLOBE Program celebrates its 25th Anniversary. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupts everything. For the first time, the GLOBE Annual Meeting goes "virtual."
2021: The GLOBE Program continues to respond to the pandemic. It creates virtual opportunities for the community to connect through monthly Zoom meetings, hosted by the RCOs. The GLOBE Annual Meeting is held virtually and hosted by GIO. All regional meetings are held virtually and hosted by the respective RCO. GLOBE wins the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) 2021 Excellence in Earth and Space Science Education Award. The award is given annually to an individual, or group/team demonstrating a sustained commitment to excellence in geophysical education.
2022: The GLOBE Program continues to respond to the pandemic as the world emerges from this event. Regional meetings are held in Europe and Eurasia, LAC and NENA. A combined virtual NARM and in person professional development experience is held. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, over 20 million measurements were added to the database during this year and the GLOBE database surpasses 235 million measurements by the end of the year. GIO documents the impacts of the program through a series of short videos, called "Agents of Change."
2023: Dr. Amy Chen becomes the Program Manager for The GLOBE Program.
Key dates in the history of The GLOBE Program
1994: Earth Day, U.S. Government announces The GLOBE Program as a multi-agency effort. Six US federal agencies are involved with the program’s development:- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the lead agency
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Department of State (DoS)
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- The Department of Education (DoE)
1998: Finland hosts the first GLOBE Learning Expedition in Helsinki.
1999: Dr. Ming Ying Wei becomes the first Program Manager for The GLOBE Program.
2000: The U.S. hosts the second GLOBE Learning Expedition in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
2003: Croatia hosts the third GLOBE Learning Expedition, held in Sibenik. NASA becomes the leading agency for The GLOBE Program.
2004: GLOBE receives the Goldman Sachs Award for being an "outstanding program that makes use of media/technology to educate students or teachers about other world regions and cultures, or international issues.”
2005: GLOBE celebrates its 10th birthday on Earth Day with 15,000 schools in 106 countries.
2008: South Africa hosts the fourth GLOBE Learning Expedition in Cape Town.
2009: GLOBE establishes Regional Offices in Africa, Asia and Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Near East and North Africa and North America to support professional development workshops, capacity building and regional sustainability efforts. The data in GLOBE's database reaches 20 million measurements.
2011: GLOBE launches Student Research Campaigns.
2014: India hosts the fifth GLOBE Learning Expedition in New Delhi. The GLOBE Implementation Office (GIO) is formed.
2015: GLOBE celebrates its 20th birthday on Earth Day. GLOBE launches its new mobile data entry app, offering 51 protocols. GLOBE data reaches 128 million measurements.
2016: GLOBE launches its online eTraining modules. GLOBE hosts the International Virtual Science Fair (IVSS), six regional U.S. science fairs and various student scientific campaigns. The GLOBE Program's app, GLOBE Observer, is launched, expanding GLOBE's reach to citizen scientists and increasing the total number of measurements and participants in the program.
2017: Data reaches 140 million measurements. Dr. Allison Leidner becomes the Program Manager for The GLOBE Program. IVSS participation increases and garners more worldwide representation. GLOBE's new mosquito protocol launched.
2018: Ireland hosts the sixth GLOBE Learning Expedition in Killarney. GLOBE data reaches 150 million measurements. The U.S. Department of State initiative on mosquito education launched. All six GLOBE regions entered over one million measurements into the GLOBE database.
2019: GLOBE, through the GLOBE Zika Education and Prevention Project, connects with Google Voyager to highlight GLOBE’s story, “Stopping the Spread of Zika.” The GLOBE Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force is established.
2020: The GLOBE Program celebrates its 25th Anniversary. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupts everything. For the first time, the GLOBE Annual Meeting goes "virtual."
2021: The GLOBE Program continues to respond to the pandemic. It creates virtual opportunities for the community to connect through monthly Zoom meetings, hosted by the RCOs. The GLOBE Annual Meeting is held virtually and hosted by GIO. All regional meetings are held virtually and hosted by the respective RCO. GLOBE wins the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) 2021 Excellence in Earth and Space Science Education Award. The award is given annually to an individual, or group/team demonstrating a sustained commitment to excellence in geophysical education.
2022: The GLOBE Program continues to respond to the pandemic as the world emerges from this event. Regional meetings are held in Europe and Eurasia, LAC and NENA. A combined virtual NARM and in person professional development experience is held. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, over 20 million measurements were added to the database during this year and the GLOBE database surpasses 235 million measurements by the end of the year. GIO documents the impacts of the program through a series of short videos, called "Agents of Change."
2023: Dr. Amy Chen becomes the Program Manager for The GLOBE Program.