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Rachel Teasdale and I and a few others are convening a session at the IAVCEI (International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior) conference that we think might be of interest to folks with interests in geoscience education and volcanology (there must be a few!). I wonder if you be willing to share this with the listserv? I included the text we're using to advertise the session below. Thanks! Kaatje We're excited to announce a session on public communication and teaching activities about volcanoes for the IAVCEI 2017 Scientific Assembly in Portland, OR (August 14-18, 2017). Session VII.3, Start spreading the news: Diverse and effective methods for communicating about volcanoes, will focus on how information about volcanic activity can be conveyed to the public, scientific stakeholders and to students. Presentations will include examples, best practices and projects that effectively share information about volcanic crises, especially through social media and teaching. Additionally, we invite projects that explore the use of volcanology data in the classroom. The full session description is provided below. We invite anyone with interest or experience in communicating and teaching about volcanoes to submit an abstract for the session, which will also include time for discussions about these topics. We look forward to your submissions! Conveners Rachel Teasdale, California State University, Chico; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Erik Klemetti, Denison University; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Wendy Stovall, USGS Volcano Hazards Program; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Sally Kuhn Sennert, USGS Volcano Hazards Program; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Kaatje van der Hoeven Kraft, Whatcom Community College; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Deanne Bird, Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland; [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> VII.3 Start spreading the news: Diverse and effective methods for communicating about volcanoes Volcanic activity is inherently exciting and interesting. Communicating volcano information not only serves people's interests, it is also vital for volcano observatories, public agencies, and science communicators to deliver reliable volcano data and hazards information in a timely manner, especially to at-risk populations. Factual scientific information can be distributed in a variety of ways - from interactive web-based media to in-person place-based teaching. Social media has become increasingly important in spreading information and creating interest, but challenges arise when non-authoritative sources undermine facts with inaccurate information. Educational and outreach activities that incorporate authentic data help people better understand potential volcanic hazards, calculate related risks and prepare for emergencies. The aim of this session is twofold: (1) highlight effective methods for volcano scientists and public agencies to convey accessible, factual and time-sensitive information via social media; and (2) provide examples of projects that use geologic data to teach in university environments, train non-scientist emergency management personnel and disseminate information before and during volcanic crises. We invite submissions of successful approaches that use a variety of information delivery platforms. Presentations should include qualitative or quantitative assessments that demonstrate the efficacy of educating the target population.