On October 26th, 2022, PEWS conducted a half-day workshop for all participants at the first All-Hands meeting of the NSF Island Systems Integration Consortium (ISIC) Research Collaboration Network (RCN).
The ISIC-RCN aims to bring together scientists from multiple fields of study, including geological, climatological, and biological sciences, to investigate questions of island evolution not answerable within single disciplines. The ISIC-RCN also aims to extend the above interdisciplinary framework of studying island systems to also engage with wider audiences in both the scientific and public spheres. To facilitate this, the ISIC-RCN brought in PEWS to provide a public engagement training workshop for all participants. The All-Hands meeting took place at the University of Cincinnati, with grant Co-PI Lucinda Lawson as local host.
PEWS Associate Director Melissa Jacquart and Director Angela Potochnik ran the workshop. During this workshop, Jacquart and Potochnik discussed best practices for a range of public outreach activities, how to develop and sustain effective partnerships, and steps to make outreach more participant-centered. They then led participants through guided group activities to develop new outreach initiatives or expand existing initiatives.
Those conversations form the basis for future outreach planning over the next years of the grant. Jacquart, senior personnel on the grant, will facilitate future planning of the ISIC-RCN.
Are you interested in engaging with PEWS to facilitate a workshop for your group? Reach out! You can reach us at EngagingScience@uc.edu.