About Resource
The River Network comprises a nationwide network of water, justice, and river advocates working to improve their communities’ safety, health, and climate resilience. This toolkit* was developed in response to partners’ request for a step-by-step guide on how to effectively engage with community members to understand climate impacts and develop resilience strategies. Importantly, this guide is designed to be accessible to leaders of community-based organizations, watershed groups, and environmental justice groups regardless of whether they are working with an academic research partner.
Access this toolkit for:
- the basis for and benefits of community-led research;
- an overview of designing community-led research projects, including a Project Planning and Facilitation Guide;
- methods for performing community engagement; and,
- case studies and a rich resources list containing examples of community-led or -based research and frameworks.
*This is one of a two-part toolkit. For the accompanying tool, see Fostering Community Leadership.
How to Use
Science center/museum practitioners who are new to research and are interested in serving their community in this way will find this resource helpful in understanding how to collect action-oriented data. The Project Planning and Facilitation Guide is of utmost importance and raises important questions for reflection while establishing a project team and defining the project’s purpose and scope.
Three key methods for data collection are highlighted. Each method offers an opportunity for the science center to leverage its role as a community convener and to contribute its resources:
- Remote Crowdsourcing - in which residents share data remotely. To expand reach, science center staff can activate their expertise in program advertising/marketing, the management of digital forms and data, and communication strategies.
- Community Mapping – in which community members create maps virtually or in-person. The science center can offer its physical space to host map-making events or support events at community-based locations with creative map-making resources and engaging facilitation.
- Person-to-Person surveying – in which data is collected from residents where they are. With project-specific preparation, science center educators are extremely well suited to this work as they are experts in public engagement and accessible communication strategies.
Location: Boulder, CO, USA
Author(s)/Organization: River Network
Publication Year: 2021
Tags
Attributes:Aims for Action, Centers Community Priorities, Equity-Focused
Outcomes:Impactful Scientific Research, Strong Community Partnerships
Approaches:Community-driven Citizen Science, Participatory Research
Type:Guidebooks & Manuals