Though it's not widely known, the National Weather Service is very involved in public outreach and education. There's even an Outreach Program Director at the Mount Holly office who regularly visits schools and organizations to do lectures, video presentations, and demonstrations. And the Weather Service holds an open house once a year so you can meet the meteorologists and tour the facility.

Recently, the Mount Holly office has partnered with faculty at the University of Delaware to organize a local chapter of the American Meteorological Society. Last week they hosted an observer from Mount Washington, NH who gave a great presentation on "The World's Worst Weather" on top of that 6300-foot mountain. And later this month, noted severe weather specialist Charles Doswell from the University of Oklahoma will speak on storm chasing.

The Weather Service is also a partner in a teacher enhancement program. If you're a teacher, you might be eligible to enroll in a unique, tuition-free, distance-learning graduate course in either Meteorology or Hydrology. You can get details about this and all the other outreach activities on the National Weather Service web site.