As part of its Community Science Initiative, ASTC organizes and funds various programs and partnerships to apply and advance community science in the field. The following represent open, ongoing, and past programs supported by our generous funders. To stay up to date on new opportunities, join our mailing list!
Ongoing Programs
Community Science Stipends (2023 – Present)
Our 15-month Cultivating Community Science Stipend Program funds established teams of science center/museum- and community-based partners using one or more of our five community science approaches to achieve clear, shared objectives that make demonstrable progress on community priorities. From this initial cohort, we aim to capture lessons for others planning, working on, or funding community science projects, including evaluation guidance.
- Cable Natural History Museum (Cable, Wisconsin) and Cable Community Farm are creating the Chequamegon Northwoods Food Coalition to collectively and cohesively address threats to food security and identify local solutions to conflicting agricultural and forest product industries, disconnected farmers, and local climate impacts.
- Museum of Life and Science (Durham, North Carolina) and Working Landscapes are engaging youth and the broader Warren County community around inequitable food access concerns and the challenges posed by the climate crisis; activities include soil health monitoring, mapping the county’s agricultural landscape, and intergenerational interviews about the past, present, and future landscape of food and agriculture.
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and Anawakalmekak are partnering to center Indigenous youth leadership in community-led conservation and restoration efforts at Ya’anna Village, a 12-acre hub for both students and the wider community to engage in ecosystem restoration, climate mitigation, and the essential process of decolonization.
- Sciencenter (Ithaca, New York) and the Community Science Institute together formed the Future Science Leaders community project which will engage teens in ongoing community science efforts related to local water quality, elevate youth in relevant conversations, and increase the capacity for regional scientists and decision-makers to make community-informed decisions.
- Science Museum of Minnesota (Saint Paul, Minnesota) and the Racial Justice STEAM Collective are exploring the intersections between race and health, engineering, environmental justice, and technology through youth-focused racial justice summits that utilize open innovation to develop new solutions to address community priorities.
Check back soon to see grantee team updates and outcomes!
Cable Natural History Museum (Cable, Wisconsin) and Cable Community Farm are creating the Chequamegon Northwoods Food Coalition to collectively and cohesively address threats to food security and identify local solutions to conflicting agricultural and forest product industries, disconnected farmers, and local climate impacts.
Museum of Life and Science (Durham, North Carolina) and Working Landscapes are engaging youth and the broader Warren County community around inequitable food access concerns and the challenges posed by the climate crisis; activities include soil health monitoring, mapping the county’s agricultural landscape, and intergenerational interviews about the past, present, and future landscape of food and agriculture.
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and Anawakalmekak are partnering to center Indigenous youth leadership in community-led conservation and restoration efforts at Ya’anna Village, a 12-acre hub for both students and the wider community to engage in ecosystem restoration, climate mitigation, and the essential process of decolonization.
Sciencenter (Ithaca, New York) and the Community Science Institute together formed the Future Science Leaders community project which will engage teens in ongoing community science efforts related to local water quality, elevate youth in relevant conversations, and increase the capacity for regional scientists and decision-makers to make community-informed decisions.
Science Museum of Minnesota (Saint Paul, Minnesota) and the Racial Justice STEAM Collective are exploring the intersections between race and health, engineering, environmental justice, and technology through youth-focused racial justice summits that utilize open innovation to develop new solutions to address community priorities.
Check back soon to see grantee team updates and outcomes!
Past Programs
Partnership Planning Seed Grants (2023)
This five-month grant program supported new and emerging collaborations between ASTC member institutions and community-based organizations to build trust, deepen partnerships, and advance local priorities via community science. Each grantee team received funding to support their program participation in addition to strategic training workshops and resources to support their development of actionable community science project plans.
ASTC partnered with J. Sickler Consulting to better understand the partnership processes, outcomes, and the extent to which these collaborations both delivered on proposed initiatives and reflected the ASTC Community Science Framework Attributes. Read a summary.
- Combatting Gun Violence in Allentown, Pennsylvania (Da Vinci Science Center – Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley): The Da Vinci Science and Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, a Black-led, woman-centered, grassroots community organization, laid the foundation for providing a safe, trusting space where youth can productively discuss gun violence solutions they would like to see implemented in their communities. Youth are often left out of gun violence conversations and this project aims to give young people a sense of ownership and power to advocate for their needs.
- Prairie Restoration in Manhattan, Kansas (Flint Hills Discovery Center – Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education): This grantee team envisioned reconnecting local communities to their nearby tallgrass prairie to realize sustainable solutions that use ecosystem benefits to strengthen communities and increase their resilience. In collaboration with Kansas State’s Ecological Engineering and Landscape Performances program, the project plan supports efforts by local teachers and students to conduct site evaluations that will ultimately build a community knowledge base of how the prairie supports their quality of life and innovative environmental solutions.
- Showcasing STEAM in Southwest Tennessee (Museum of Science and History Memphis – Jackson-Madison County Library): Grantee partners came together to lay the foundation for a regional Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) Fest to provide communities the necessary resources to enter the region’s growing STEM-focused industries. The team leveraged an Eclipse Viewing Party to gather community input and build collaborative relationships with regional businesses and organizations to ensure the Fest’s success and ultimately generate interest in STEAM, showcase relevant careers, and prepare students for the future workforce.
- Adapting Agriculture in Warren County, North Carolina (Museum of Life and Science – Working Landscapes): This collaboration sought to engage youth around the concerns of food access and the climate crisis to increase community understanding of where their food comes from and how climate change will change the agricultural landscape and weather patterns. Community-based project activities—including soil health monitoring, mapping the county’s agricultural landscape, and recording the thoughts of older relatives on past, present, and future of food and agriculture — will help shape youth and workforce development programs. This team went on to implement the project via ASTC’s Community Science Stipends (see ongoing programs above).
- Centering Indigenous Youth Leadership in Los Angeles County, California (History Museum of Los Angeles County – Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory of North America): Grant partners worked together to learn how Ya’anna Village—a planned center for regenerative learning and Indigenous resurgence—can support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC) youth in Los Angeles. The project plan outlined multiple ways to gather input, including data collection by students and the Gabrielino-Shoshone Nation to support museum content and the evaluation of Indigenous urban land stewardship. This team went on to implement the project via ASTC’s Community Science Stipends (see ongoing programs above).
- Youth Lead on Mental Health and Social Media in Portland, Oregon (Oregon Museum of Science & Industry – Self Enhancement Inc.): Given the unprecedented mental health crisis among today’s young people, this grantee team laid plans for a youth-led, participatory research project to identify their most pressing questions related to mental health and social media, conduct research in their communities, and share their findings. The project will reveal localized solutions for Self Enhancement Inc.’s students, their peers, and communities.
- Researching Avian Flu in the New York’s Adirondacks (The Wild Center – Cornell Cooperative Extension): This team developed a citizen science project plan to leverage research institutions and community members to increase data collection related to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) which can have devastating effects on domestic and wild animal populations. The project will increase community awareness of HPAI, develop and strengthen community partnerships, and fill critical data gaps to better understand the impact of HPAI and other diseases.
Combatting Gun Violence in Allentown, Pennsylvania (Da Vinci Science Center – Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley): The Da Vinci Science and Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, a Black-led, woman-centered, grassroots community organization, laid the foundation for providing a safe, trusting space where youth can productively discuss gun violence solutions they would like to see implemented in their communities. Youth are often left out of gun violence conversations and this project aims to give young people a sense of ownership and power to advocate for their needs.
Prairie Restoration in Manhattan, Kansas (Flint Hills Discovery Center – Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education): This grantee team envisioned reconnecting local communities to their nearby tallgrass prairie to realize sustainable solutions that use ecosystem benefits to strengthen communities and increase their resilience. In collaboration with Kansas State’s Ecological Engineering and Landscape Performances program, the project plan supports efforts by local teachers and students to conduct site evaluations that will ultimately build a community knowledge base of how the prairie supports their quality of life and innovative environmental solutions.
Showcasing STEAM in Southwest Tennessee (Museum of Science and History Memphis – Jackson-Madison County Library): Grantee partners came together to lay the foundation for a regional Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) Fest to provide communities the necessary resources to enter the region’s growing STEM-focused industries. The team leveraged an Eclipse Viewing Party to gather community input and build collaborative relationships with regional businesses and organizations to ensure the Fest’s success and ultimately generate interest in STEAM, showcase relevant careers, and prepare students for the future workforce.
Adapting Agriculture in Warren County, North Carolina (Museum of Life and Science – Working Landscapes): This collaboration sought to engage youth around the concerns of food access and the climate crisis to increase community understanding of where their food comes from and how climate change will change the agricultural landscape and weather patterns. Community-based project activities—including soil health monitoring, mapping the county’s agricultural landscape, and recording the thoughts of older relatives on past, present, and future of food and agriculture — will help shape youth and workforce development programs. This team went on to implement the project via ASTC’s Community Science Stipends (see ongoing programs above).
Centering Indigenous Youth Leadership in Los Angeles County, California (History Museum of Los Angeles County – Anahuacalmecac International University Preparatory of North America): Grant partners worked together to learn how Ya’anna Village—a planned center for regenerative learning and Indigenous resurgence—can support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC) youth in Los Angeles. The project plan outlined multiple ways to gather input, including data collection by students and the Gabrielino-Shoshone Nation to support museum content and the evaluation of Indigenous urban land stewardship. This team went on to implement the project via ASTC’s Community Science Stipends (see ongoing programs above).
Youth Lead on Mental Health and Social Media in Portland, Oregon (Oregon Museum of Science & Industry – Self Enhancement Inc.): Given the unprecedented mental health crisis among today’s young people, this grantee team laid plans for a youth-led, participatory research project to identify their most pressing questions related to mental health and social media, conduct research in their communities, and share their findings. The project will reveal localized solutions for Self Enhancement Inc.’s students, their peers, and communities.
Researching Avian Flu in the New York’s Adirondacks (The Wild Center – Cornell Cooperative Extension): This team developed a citizen science project plan to leverage research institutions and community members to increase data collection related to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) which can have devastating effects on domestic and wild animal populations. The project will increase community awareness of HPAI, develop and strengthen community partnerships, and fill critical data gaps to better understand the impact of HPAI and other diseases.
Dialogue & Deliberation Fellowships (2021 – 2022)
These 12-month fellowships focused on nurturing a corps of science engagement professionals who learned skills for maintaining equitable partnerships and developing dialogue-based programming to address community priorities. Each fellow collaborated with a community partner to design and host a Dialogue & Deliberation event that produced community recommendations or decisions on a community-identified topic followed by reflection and evaluation. (To learn more, explore our Dialogue and Deliberation Toolkit).
Dialogue and Deliberation Fellows
- Discussing New American’s Access to Traditional Foods and Nutritional Knowledge — Wallis Boram, Education Specialist, McAuliffe-Shephard Discovery Center (Concord, New Hampshire): Wallis partnered with Overcomers Refugee Services to help New American communities find food that supports both their health and traditions. They brought together nearly 40 participants from the region’s New American community to learn how to read food and nutrition labels and the impact sugar consumption has on health and identified actions to support new refugees, such as developing an outreach plan and creating gardening options.
- Exploring Community Nutritional Literacy and Food Access — Claire Dorsett, Associate Director of Strategic Content, Great Lakes Science Center (Cleveland, Ohio): Claire worked with the community development corporation, MidTown Cleveland, Inc., to convene a discussion with community members centered on nutritional literacy. Participants were asked to share a personal story about food and nutrition and their related hopes and dreams for the future. They then deliberated on which stakeholders could best achieve these goals and produced an actionable list of recommendations for local residents, businesses, and others.
- Convening Fishers to Discuss Sustainable Practices for Sea Turtle Protection — Claudia Martinez Gray, Director of Education, International Museum of Art & Science (McAllen, Texas): Together with Sea Turtle, Inc., Claudia helped lead Cause for Conservation: A Conversation of Sustainable Fishing Practices to improve the relationship between local fishers and endangered sea turtles. The project engaged 40 participants who learned about sustainable fishing practices and brainstormed solutions for proper fishing equipment disposal and how to respond when encountering an injured sea turtle.
- Engaging Youth and Families in Addressing Flood Mitigation — Alyssa Johnson, Education Program Coordinator, Sciencenter (Ithaca, New York): Sciencenter and Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) collaborated on a project to address water monitoring and flooding in the greater Ithaca area which faces severe flooding risk. With nearly 70 community members, Ithaca’s Director of Sustainability spoke about regional climate change and flooding; GIAC youth presented findings from their water research; participants deliberated on related topics, including infrastructure, drainage systems, and early warning systems; and they created a public map of community-indicated flood zones.
- Identifying Priorities for Equitable Access to Green Space — Sam Tayag, Community Science Coordinator, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Los Angeles, California): With Nature for All, Sam brought together a team of Angelinos from diverse backgrounds with environmental justice advocates, artists, and researchers for a structured conversation and art creation event about equitable green space access. The discussion unearthed community priorities, including safety, accessibility, and the ability to convene. This project produced an interactive pop-up gallery, a learning-sharing document, and an action plan to address these priorities.
- Addressing Misinformation and Building Trust in Local Media —Kristan Uhlenbrock, Director, Denver Museum of Nature and Science (Denver, Colorado): Kristan’s fellowship project, “Navigating Misinformation in our Community,” brought together the Colorado News Collaborative with more than 70 community members and journalists to build and rebuild relationships and identify potential actions to combat misinformation in the media. Results included an issues framework and discussion guide individuals can use in their own communities and a report with actionable next steps.
- Deliberating on Potential Uses for County-Owned Land — David Valentine, Community Engagement Specialist, Science Museum of Minnesota (St. Paul, Minnesota): David worked with the Boys Totem Town Community Conversation Collective to bring together community members and local government representatives to deliberate on how to use a 72-acre site, Boys Totem Town, that was formally a juvenile detention center. Project partners shared information about the site and gathered community input, creating a report for officials.
- Community Conversations on Technology Access and Learning — Ian Reed, Youth and Academic Programs Manager, Museum of Science and Industry (Tampa, Florida): Alongside High Point Gamer, a veteran-owned e-sports consultant, Ian held a series of community meetings—in an area slated to become a new “innovation district”— to explore community priorities related to technology access and how to create opportunities for learning and engaging with technology.
Discussing New American’s Access to Traditional Foods and Nutritional Knowledge — Wallis Boram, Education Specialist, McAuliffe-Shephard Discovery Center (Concord, New Hampshire): Wallis partnered with Overcomers Refugee Services to help New American communities find food that supports both their health and traditions. They brought together nearly 40 participants from the region’s New American community to learn how to read food and nutrition labels and the impact sugar consumption has on health and identified actions to support new refugees, such as developing an outreach plan and creating gardening options.
Exploring Community Nutritional Literacy and Food Access — Claire Dorsett, Associate Director of Strategic Content, Great Lakes Science Center (Cleveland, Ohio): Claire worked with the community development corporation, MidTown Cleveland, Inc., to convene a discussion with community members centered on nutritional literacy. Participants were asked to share a personal story about food and nutrition and their related hopes and dreams for the future. They then deliberated on which stakeholders could best achieve these goals and produced an actionable list of recommendations for local residents, businesses, and others.
Convening Fishers to Discuss Sustainable Practices for Sea Turtle Protection — Claudia Martinez Gray, Director of Education, International Museum of Art & Science (McAllen, Texas): Together with Sea Turtle, Inc., Claudia helped lead Cause for Conservation: A Conversation of Sustainable Fishing Practices to improve the relationship between local fishers and endangered sea turtles. The project engaged 40 participants who learned about sustainable fishing practices and brainstormed solutions for proper fishing equipment disposal and how to respond when encountering an injured sea turtle.
Engaging Youth and Families in Addressing Flood Mitigation — Alyssa Johnson, Education Program Coordinator, Sciencenter (Ithaca, New York): Sciencenter and Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) collaborated on a project to address water monitoring and flooding in the greater Ithaca area which faces severe flooding risk. With nearly 70 community members, Ithaca’s Director of Sustainability spoke about regional climate change and flooding; GIAC youth presented findings from their water research; participants deliberated on related topics, including infrastructure, drainage systems, and early warning systems; and they created a public map of community-indicated flood zones.
Identifying Priorities for Equitable Access to Green Space — Sam Tayag, Community Science Coordinator, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Los Angeles, California): With Nature for All, Sam brought together a team of Angelinos from diverse backgrounds with environmental justice advocates, artists, and researchers for a structured conversation and art creation event about equitable green space access. The discussion unearthed community priorities, including safety, accessibility, and the ability to convene. This project produced an interactive pop-up gallery, a learning-sharing document, and an action plan to address these priorities.
Addressing Misinformation and Building Trust in Local Media —Kristan Uhlenbrock, Director, Denver Museum of Nature and Science (Denver, Colorado): Kristan’s fellowship project, “Navigating Misinformation in our Community,” brought together the Colorado News Collaborative with more than 70 community members and journalists to build and rebuild relationships and identify potential actions to combat misinformation in the media. Results included an issues framework and discussion guide individuals can use in their own communities and a report with actionable next steps.
Deliberating on Potential Uses for County-Owned Land — David Valentine, Community Engagement Specialist, Science Museum of Minnesota (St. Paul, Minnesota): David worked with the Boys Totem Town Community Conversation Collective to bring together community members and local government representatives to deliberate on how to use a 72-acre site, Boys Totem Town, that was formally a juvenile detention center. Project partners shared information about the site and gathered community input, creating a report for officials.
Community Conversations on Technology Access and Learning — Ian Reed, Youth and Academic Programs Manager, Museum of Science and Industry (Tampa, Florida): Alongside High Point Gamer, a veteran-owned e-sports consultant, Ian held a series of community meetings—in an area slated to become a new “innovation district”— to explore community priorities related to technology access and how to create opportunities for learning and engaging with technology.
Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) Fellowship (2021-2024)
In partnership with the American Geophysical Union’s Thriving Earth Exchange and American Meteorological Society, ASTC sponsored one-year fellowships for staff at ASTC-member museums to collaborate with community leaders to design meaningful projects related to natural hazards, natural resources, and climate change that leveraged science to produce a concrete impact. Among their activities, they recruited volunteer scientists with relevant expertise and led a team of scientists and community members in launching a project that advanced community priorities.
Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center in National City, CA, site of a TEX community science project focused on culturally-relevant composting.
- Discussing New American’s Access to Traditional Foods and Nutritional Knowledge — Wallis Boram, Education Specialist, McAuliffe-Shephard Discovery Center (Concord, New Hampshire): Wallis partnered with Overcomers Refugee Services to help New American communities find food that supports both their health and traditions. They brought together nearly 40 participants from the region’s New American community to learn how to read food and nutrition labels and the impact sugar consumption has on health and identified actions to support new refugees, such as developing an outreach plan and creating gardening options.
- Exploring Community Nutritional Literacy and Food Access — Claire Dorsett, Associate Director of Strategic Content, Great Lakes Science Center (Cleveland, Ohio): Claire worked with the community development corporation, MidTown Cleveland, Inc., to convene a discussion with community members centered on nutritional literacy. Participants were asked to share a personal story about food and nutrition and their related hopes and dreams for the future. They then deliberated on which stakeholders could best achieve these goals and produced an actionable list of recommendations for local residents, businesses, and others.
- Convening Fishers to Discuss Sustainable Practices for Sea Turtle Protection — Claudia Martinez Gray, Director of Education, International Museum of Art & Science (McAllen, Texas): Together with Sea Turtle, Inc., Claudia helped lead Cause for Conservation: A Conversation of Sustainable Fishing Practices to improve the relationship between local fishers and endangered sea turtles. The project engaged 40 participants who learned about sustainable fishing practices and brainstormed solutions for proper fishing equipment disposal and how to respond when encountering an injured sea turtle.
- Engaging Youth and Families in Addressing Flood Mitigation — Alyssa Johnson, Education Program Coordinator, Sciencenter (Ithaca, New York): Sciencenter and Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) collaborated on a project to address water monitoring and flooding in the greater Ithaca area which faces severe flooding risk. With nearly 70 community members, Ithaca’s Director of Sustainability spoke about regional climate change and flooding; GIAC youth presented findings from their water research; participants deliberated on related topics, including infrastructure, drainage systems, and early warning systems; and they created a public map of community-indicated flood zones.
- Identifying Priorities for Equitable Access to Green Space — Sam Tayag, Community Science Coordinator, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Los Angeles, California): With Nature for All, Sam brought together a team of Angelinos from diverse backgrounds with environmental justice advocates, artists, and researchers for a structured conversation and art creation event about equitable green space access. The discussion unearthed community priorities, including safety, accessibility, and the ability to convene. This project produced an interactive pop-up gallery, a learning-sharing document, and an action plan to address these priorities.
- Addressing Misinformation and Building Trust in Local Media —Kristan Uhlenbrock, Director, Denver Museum of Nature and Science (Denver, Colorado): Kristan’s fellowship project, “Navigating Misinformation in our Community,” brought together the Colorado News Collaborative with more than 70 community members and journalists to build and rebuild relationships and identify potential actions to combat misinformation in the media. Results included an issues framework and discussion guide individuals can use in their own communities and a report with actionable next steps.
- Deliberating on Potential Uses for County-Owned Land — David Valentine, Community Engagement Specialist, Science Museum of Minnesota (St. Paul, Minnesota): David worked with the Boys Totem Town Community Conversation Collective to bring together community members and local government representatives to deliberate on how to use a 72-acre site, Boys Totem Town, that was formally a juvenile detention center. Project partners shared information about the site and gathered community input, creating a report for officials.
- Community Conversations on Technology Access and Learning — Ian Reed, Youth and Academic Programs Manager, Museum of Science and Industry (Tampa, Florida): Alongside High Point Gamer, a veteran-owned e-sports consultant, Ian held a series of community meetings—in an area slated to become a new “innovation district”— to explore community priorities related to technology access and how to create opportunities for learning and engaging with technology.
Collaborating on Community-Driven Creek Monitoring and Flood Advocacy — Max Crawley, Director of Climate Research and Engagement, Museum of Science and Life (Durham, NC): Max partnered with the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to better understand and serve the needs of local, resourceful, and vibrant communities that bear a disproportionate burden from urban flooding. The project established a longer-term, community-driven collaborative, CreekWatchers, that pays community members to increase creek literacy, understand creek issues, and work toward solutions. Learn more here.
Activating Neighborhood Leaders in Culturally-Relevant Composting — Yanet Lopez, Engagement Manager, Fleet Science Center (National City, California): To increase the community’s participation in reducing waste and greenhouse gases, Yanet worked with Olivewood Garden to pilot an education and outreach program around food justice, environmental justice, waste reduction, policy, and more. The program ultimately delivered a culturally relevant composting curriculum designed for the city’s Latinx communities. Learn more here.
Engaging Youth in Air Quality and Climate Resilience — Devin Jefferson, Community Science Catalyst, Science Museum of Virginia (Richmond, Virginia): Working with the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Richmond, Devin engaged local young people in measuring air quality, a particularly relevant topic considering the city’s high allergy and asthma rates. The resulting Science Learning Lab Curriculum helps youth fill crucial air quality data gaps, increasing community understanding of extreme heat events and their climate resilience. Learn more here.
Removing Invasive Species to Promote Forest Health — Irmarís Rivera-Llavona, Operations Coordinator, Museo de Ciencias de Puerto Rivo (Berwyn Heights, Maryland): Irmarís brought together local government representatives, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and local volunteers to remove invasive vines, conduct survey maps, and collect data to increase forest canopy health, promote new tree growth, and increase carbon sequestration. Learn more here.
Collecting and Analyzing New Flood Data — Shane Montoya, Director of Exhibits and Operations, Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum (Louisville, Kentucky): Alongside the Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development Agency, Shane worked to holistically update the region’s Hazard Mitigation Plan with a Flood Susceptibility Index to inform flood hazard mitigation decision-making. Learn more here.
Wading through Waco Waters — Cindee Millard, Public Programs Manager, Baylor University Mayborn Museum Complex (Waco, Texas): Cindee collaborated with the City of Waco Water Utility Services to engage scientists and community members in local, experiential learning about their local watershed. This project included a tour of the water facility and the development of curricula to support ongoing public engagement.
Public Interest Technology Community Innovation Fellowship (PITCIF) (2020-2021)
Led by Arizona State University’s Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes in partnership with ASTC; Museum of Science, Boston; the Expert and Citizen Assessment of Science and Technology (ECAST) Network; and New America’s Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN), the PITCIF fellowships trained science engagement professionals in how to effectively collaborate with civic, government, and academic partners to engage the public on public interest technology issues that matter to local communities. Watch this webinar recording for a deep dive on fellows’ projects.
- Discussing New American’s Access to Traditional Foods and Nutritional Knowledge — Wallis Boram, Education Specialist, McAuliffe-Shephard Discovery Center (Concord, New Hampshire): Wallis partnered with Overcomers Refugee Services to help New American communities find food that supports both their health and traditions. They brought together nearly 40 participants from the region’s New American community to learn how to read food and nutrition labels and the impact sugar consumption has on health and identified actions to support new refugees, such as developing an outreach plan and creating gardening options.
- Exploring Community Nutritional Literacy and Food Access — Claire Dorsett, Associate Director of Strategic Content, Great Lakes Science Center (Cleveland, Ohio): Claire worked with the community development corporation, MidTown Cleveland, Inc., to convene a discussion with community members centered on nutritional literacy. Participants were asked to share a personal story about food and nutrition and their related hopes and dreams for the future. They then deliberated on which stakeholders could best achieve these goals and produced an actionable list of recommendations for local residents, businesses, and others.
- Convening Fishers to Discuss Sustainable Practices for Sea Turtle Protection — Claudia Martinez Gray, Director of Education, International Museum of Art & Science (McAllen, Texas): Together with Sea Turtle, Inc., Claudia helped lead Cause for Conservation: A Conversation of Sustainable Fishing Practices to improve the relationship between local fishers and endangered sea turtles. The project engaged 40 participants who learned about sustainable fishing practices and brainstormed solutions for proper fishing equipment disposal and how to respond when encountering an injured sea turtle.
- Engaging Youth and Families in Addressing Flood Mitigation — Alyssa Johnson, Education Program Coordinator, Sciencenter (Ithaca, New York): Sciencenter and Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) collaborated on a project to address water monitoring and flooding in the greater Ithaca area which faces severe flooding risk. With nearly 70 community members, Ithaca’s Director of Sustainability spoke about regional climate change and flooding; GIAC youth presented findings from their water research; participants deliberated on related topics, including infrastructure, drainage systems, and early warning systems; and they created a public map of community-indicated flood zones.
- Identifying Priorities for Equitable Access to Green Space — Sam Tayag, Community Science Coordinator, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (Los Angeles, California): With Nature for All, Sam brought together a team of Angelinos from diverse backgrounds with environmental justice advocates, artists, and researchers for a structured conversation and art creation event about equitable green space access. The discussion unearthed community priorities, including safety, accessibility, and the ability to convene. This project produced an interactive pop-up gallery, a learning-sharing document, and an action plan to address these priorities.
- Addressing Misinformation and Building Trust in Local Media —Kristan Uhlenbrock, Director, Denver Museum of Nature and Science (Denver, Colorado): Kristan’s fellowship project, “Navigating Misinformation in our Community,” brought together the Colorado News Collaborative with more than 70 community members and journalists to build and rebuild relationships and identify potential actions to combat misinformation in the media. Results included an issues framework and discussion guide individuals can use in their own communities and a report with actionable next steps.
- Deliberating on Potential Uses for County-Owned Land — David Valentine, Community Engagement Specialist, Science Museum of Minnesota (St. Paul, Minnesota): David worked with the Boys Totem Town Community Conversation Collective to bring together community members and local government representatives to deliberate on how to use a 72-acre site, Boys Totem Town, that was formally a juvenile detention center. Project partners shared information about the site and gathered community input, creating a report for officials.
- Community Conversations on Technology Access and Learning — Ian Reed, Youth and Academic Programs Manager, Museum of Science and Industry (Tampa, Florida): Alongside High Point Gamer, a veteran-owned e-sports consultant, Ian held a series of community meetings—in an area slated to become a new “innovation district”— to explore community priorities related to technology access and how to create opportunities for learning and engaging with technology.
Identifying Opportunities for Cultural Institutions to Support Environmental Justice Work and Data Sharing — Jade Marks, Science Communications Manager, University of Michigan Museum of Natural History (Ann Arbor, Michigan): Jade partnered with Justin Schell, the director of the university’s Shapiro Design Lab, to identify ways that cultural institutions can support local environmental justice efforts and facilitate better access to environmental data. By surveying local environmental justice priorities, the team identified water quality and data access as top concerns, then engaged experts and communities in a series of workshops to design a forum that provided actionable environmental justice outcomes.
Developing a Forum for Urban Heat Island Solutions — Rachel Quimby, Public Programs Coordinator/Museum Educator, EcoTarium (Worcester, Massachusetts): Working with former City Conservation Planner, Stefanie Covino, Rachel surveyed experts and community leaders on what urban heat mitigation strategies the most overheated neighborhoods wanted to pursue. A forum showcased several potential solutions based on their input, including tree plantings and pocket parks, and allowed the 48 participants to add and comment on them.
A Forum for Climate Resilience and Water Challenges — Cindee Millard, Public Engagement Manager, Baylor University’s Mayborn Museum Complex (Waco, Texas): With Baylor University’s aquatic scientist and environmental educator, Melissa Mullins, Cindee convened city officials, community-based and cultural organizations, county and state water officials, and community members to address the question: “How should our communities meet future water challenges and promote climate resilience?” A two-hour forum engaged nearly 300 participants in this question and the resulting input and data were turned into a publicly shared action plan.
Designing Youth Engagement Programs on Biotech and Food Systems — Anja Scholze, Program Director for Biology and Design, The Tech Interactive (San Jose, California): Anja teamed up with regional artist and STEAM educator, Corinne Okada Takara, to design culturally relevant and inclusive youth engagement around ag tech, biotech, and food systems, with a focus on Latinx and resourceful youth who are the children of agricultural fieldworkers. The digital forum engaged 38 young people, finding that they felt it was particularly important to engage field workers in these conversations and that interactive learning was the best way to learn about these topics; results were shared with regional education organizations.