Scientific American Names UCAR's Windows to the Universe to Sci/Tech Web Top 50

BOULDER -- Windows to the Universe, a Web site of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), was named one of the top 50 sites in the first annual Sci/Tech Web Awards from Scientific American. The magazine's editors announced the awards this week after reviewing hundreds of Web sites and selecting the 50 they deem the most valuable as science and technology resources. The five winners in each of ten subject areas are listed at the ScientificAmerican.com Web site.

Windows to the Universe (Windows2U), which won recognition in the Earth and Environment category, brings a broad array of information about earth and space science to students and the general public via text, images, sound, movies, animations, and data sets. Some four million users explored the site this past year.

The Web site offers three levels of content for upper elementary through high school students and brings together interdisciplinary science with the arts and humanities. "We've surveyed our visitors and found that teachers and students around the world use the site to support their classroom research and satisfy their own curiosity," says Roberta Johnson, the director of the Windows2U development effort. A space scientist specializing in solar-terrestrial relationships, Johnson directs education and outreach at UCAR.

Windows2U offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels for exploring the solar system, astronomy and its history, individual planets, geology, space weather, and a host of other topics. The site includes games, self-paced tutorials, and a special section devoted to art, books, and films related to earth and space science. The section on mythology includes material about the earth and sky from 20 cultures around the world. Teacher resource pages include classroom activities, networking tools, and educational links.

The Scientific American Sci/Tech Web Award joins more than 50 other honors on the Windows2U trophy shelf, including "50 Best of the Web" from Popular Science and "Education Site Best Bet" from USA Today. Windows2U was created at the University of Michigan with NASA funding. It moved to UCAR in the summer of 2000. UCAR is a consortium of 66 universities offering Ph.D.s in atmospheric and related sciences.