The programmatic activities of the AAAS are organized into three Directorates and Project 2061:

· Science and Policy Programs implement AAAS objectives in those areas where science, government, and society come together. One of its most visible activities is an annual analysis of Federal R&D budgets and policies that is widely used as an unbiased resource by other agencies, societies, and organizations.

· International Programs seek to achieve the goals of the AAAS through enhanced cooperation between U.S. scientists and engineers and those of other countries. Products of these collaborative efforts include strengthened relationships with the scientific communities of other countries and progress in resolving issues of international concern.

· Education and Human Resources (EHR) Programs seek to improve education in science, mathematics, and technology, foster equal access to these fields for women, minorities, and people with disabilities, and enhance the public's understanding of all areas of science and technology.

· Project 2061 is a long-term initiative of the AAAS to reform K - 12 education in the natural and social sciences, mathematics, and technology. Its goals for science literacy for a changing future are outlined in Science for All Americans and, more specifically, by developmental levels, in Benchmarks for Science Literacy.

You will note that no specific science discipline is mentioned in the descriptions of AAAS programs and activities. This is both the good news and the bad news. Because it lacks a disciplinary focus, the AAAS provides an umbrella under which all disciplines can gather to examine concerns of mutual interest, such as the Federal R&D policies. But, because it lacks a disciplinary focus, the AAAS is, for most of its members, their "second society." In the ACS, at least in chemical education, a large part of the organization's work is carried out by chemists volunteering their time and energy to support their primary professional allegiance. In the AAAS, this same commitment of time and energy is generally not available from members, so the activities are more staff-directed and limited to those that are either relatively low-cost or essentially fully supported by external funding (i.e., soft money).

Over time, we will use this column to describe selected AAAS activities and indicate how you, as a chemical educator, might take part in and benefit from them. Let's focus for this column on an EHR program, the Forum for School Science. Each year, the Forum examines a science learning and teaching issue (e.g., assessment practice or standards) that impacts the K - 12 system, higher education, and science education policy at all levels. After eleven years of Fall meetings held in the Washington, DC, area, the Forum will move to a new location and schedule, integrated with the AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle, February 1997. Holding the Forum in conjunction with the Annual Meeting gives you and other science educators, scientists, and policy makers an opportunity to participate in both meetings at little extra expense.

The Forum, scheduled as a Seminar on Monday and Tuesday, 17 - 18 February 1997, will focus on implementing inquiry-based science learning and teaching, including requisite professional development opportunities. Inquiry-based science learning and teaching is demanding for both students and teachers and not widely practiced at any level. Teachers (K - 16) need to learn how to do inquiry teaching and the system needs to learn how to support them. The Forum program offers general sessions, small group workshops by experts in the field, and sessions featuring examples from the classroom. Registration information will be available in the fall. If you have questions about the AAAS Forum for School Science, please contact Betty Calinger (bcalinge@aaas.org) at AAAS, 1200 New York Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20005; 202-326-6629.