This past Spring saw another successful round of the Public Engagement with Science seminar, run by PEWS Curriculum and Pedagogy Director Melissa Jacquart. This semester-long graduate course explores the theory and best practices behind public engagement with science, and pairs students with community partners to co-design outreach projects. This year’s cohort worked with Cincinnati Parks, the City of Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability, the Cincinnati Museum Center, and Adopt A Class. Read on to learn about their unique projects and how PEWS graduate students are engaging science in Cincinnati!
Dungeons & Dinosaurs at the Cincinnati Museum Center
AJ Kmetz, Erik Alvarado Quinteros, and Kitley Kern partnered with the Cincinnati Museum Center and the Cincinnati Ethics Center’s Ethics and Dragons program to design an interactive role-playing game, modeled after Dungeons & Dragons, called “Dungeons & Dinosaurs.” The game took place in the museum, with participants taking on the role of scientific adventurers as they engaged in scientific reasoning and learned about the Jurassic period in order to go back in time to retrieve a magical plant. As AJ put it, “We had the opportunity to combine two of the things I’m most passionate about – dinosaurs and tabletop roleplaying games – in a project that furthers the CMC’s mission. This project has been a highlight of my graduate school experience. I still can’t believe I get to use Dungeons & Dragons in my resume now.” Read more about Dungeons & Dinosaurs here!
Understanding Energy Affordability with the City of Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability
Qianrong Gong, Carson Hartlage, and Kate Nicole Hoffman worked with the City of Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability to share information and resources around energy affordability in Cincinnati. Their public event featured a panel discussion of energy experts, including representatives from Legal Aid of Greater Cincinnati, City of Cincinnati Office of Environment and Sustainability, and Strategies to End Homelessness. Afterwards, participants were invited to visit a series of interactive resource tables aimed at helping Cincinnatians navigate local energy options.
Uncovering the Archives at Cincinnati Parks
Noa Dahan, Olayemi Rachael Ajayi, and Tim Luft delved into the archives with Cincinnati Parks to explore ways to share out the Parks’ collection in an engaging and accessible way. The Parks archive contains a large collection of natural objects, books, and documents from Cincinnati’s past. The team worked to develop an online platform that would allow members of the public to engage with these materials digitally, and learn more about the history of Cincinnati Parks and their many resources.
Inspiring Mentorship with Adopt A Class
Monishita Deb, Damilola Oduola, and Blaire Bartish interviewed current volunteers and researched the impacts of volunteering on one’s physical health. Their aim was to recruit new mentors for Adopt A Class, an organization which empowers students by connecting them with caring adults to provide career exposure and new life experiences. Although the mental benefits of volunteering and mentorship are already well documented, the group sought to highlight the lesser-known beneficial physical impacts. These impacts were documented in an outreach video that was featured at Adopt A Class’s celebration breakfast, and sent to the organization to use for future recruiting efforts.
These graduate student projects were part of PEWS’s Engaging Science Sequence. Learn more about our course offerings and opportunities here!