PEWS is wrapping up its first year offering the Engaging Science sequence, a series of opportunities for graduate students at the University of Cincinnati. Students from a range of natural and social sciences, humanities, and engineering and medical graduate programs participate in one or more of these opportunities to learn about public engagement with science. The Engaging Science graduate sequence is supported by an NSF Innovations in Graduate Education Award (read more about the grant here).
Fall 2023: Sharing Science Experience
In fall 2023, 27 students enrolled in the first course of the Engaging Science course sequence, the Sharing Science Experience. This two-day workshop provided graduate students with an introduction to public engagement with science through a hands-on experience at the Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC). This year, the workshop was facilitated by Brian Pollock, CMC Director of STEM Resources, Dr. Angela Potochnik, UC Philosophy faculty and PEWS Director, and Dr. Brooke Crowley, UC Geosciences faculty and PEWS Faculty Affiliate. Students learned about the most effective practices in informal science education and engaged museum visitors in science demonstrations.
Spring 2024: Public Engagement with Science Seminar
This spring, 12 of the students from the Sharing Science Experience continued on to take the Public Engagement with Science Seminar. This semester-long graduate course explores public engagement with science theory and best practices. The course covers a variety of topics including discussions about different types of public engagement with science, methods of working with community partners and the public, and science communications.
A major component of the class involved students working in teams with a community partner to develop and implement an outreach initiative. One group of students led a discussion about oak tree conservation at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden during the Zoo’s free admission Tunes ‘n Bloom evenings. Another group gave a lecture about the allergic experience for Science on Tap. Other students hosted a discussion about the phenomenon of experiencing guilt for the Mercantile Library. The final group worked with the Island Systems Integration Consortium (ISIC) to develop a survey for scientists, researchers, community leaders, and educators to identify and collate their outreach experiences about science in the Galápagos Islands.
You can learn more about each of these projects here.
Summer 2024: Engaging Science Fellowships
Six of the students who took the workshop and seminar are now working as Engaging Science Summer Fellows. In this final step of the Engaging Science sequence, students who successfully apply to be Engaging Science Fellows are each matched with a community partner organization to work with. Fellows become familiar with the main projects of the organization; learn and practice public engagement in that setting; and plan, implement, and assess their own public engagement with science initiative in collaboration with that organization. Engaging Science Fellows also meet regularly as a group to discuss their experiences and deepen their public engagement with science professional development.
This year’s Engaging Science Fellows are working with the Cincinnati Museum Center, Interact for Health, Mill Creek Alliance, Science on Tap, and the Gaskins Foundation. Stay tuned for more details about their projects later this summer.
Enroll for the next Engaging Science Sequence
Enrollment is now open for the fall 2024 Sharing Science Experience! Any UC graduate student can visit UC Catalyst to enroll. Students can choose from two workshop dates: September 21st/22nd and November 1st/2nd, 10am-5pm both days. Lunch will be provided. Students may sign up for either workshop dates and whichever area designation best serves them: humanities (HUM), social sciences (SOSC), or natural sciences (NSCI). The course is HUM/SOSC/NSCI 7000 Sharing Science Experience.
Please reach out to engagingscience@uc.edu with any questions.
