Title: NetSciEd: Network Science and Education for the Interconnected World,
Abstract: This short article presents a summary of the NetSciEd (Network Science and
Education) initiative that aims to address the need for curricula, resources,
accessible materials, and tools for introducing K-12 students and the general
public to the concept of networks, a crucial framework in understanding
complexity. NetSciEd activities include (1) the NetSci High educational
outreach program (since 2010), which connects high school students and their
teachers with regional university research labs and provides them with the
opportunity to work on network science research projects; (2) the NetSciEd
symposium series (since 2012), which brings network science researchers and
educators together to discuss how network science can help and be integrated
into formal and informal education; and (3) the Network Literacy: Essential
Concepts and Core Ideas booklet (since 2014), which was created collaboratively
and subsequently translated into 18 languages by an extensive group of network
science researchers and educators worldwide.