The ASTC Community Science Team is offering several new training opportunities this year to help our members engage in community science – whether they’re just getting started or continuing to improve longstanding efforts. If you haven’t heard about ASTC’s Community Science Initiative yet, let us introduce you! Community science is a way of working on issues at the intersection of science and society, which centers community priorities, strengths, and leadership to co-create solutions. Through community science, community members collaborate, often with scientists and science engagement practitioners, to conduct scientific research and leverage technological innovation to advance community priorities and benefit from science and engineering knowledge and advancements.
If you and your team are excited by the prospect of authentically engaging with your local community, read on to learn about our upcoming training opportunities!
“Getting Started in Community Science” Training
Thursday, March 7, 2:30-4:00 pm Eastern Time
This training is an excellent starting point for those who are considering taking their first steps into community science. In this session, we will provide a foundation for understanding community science attributes and outcomes, questions for you and your team to consider as you prepare to engage, and an opportunity to ask questions and connect with other community science practitioners.
Dialogue & Deliberation Toolkit Webinar
Thursday, May 9, 2:30-4:00 pm Eastern Time
This webinar is meant to serve as an interactive companion to our Dialogue & Deliberation Toolkit. Dialogue & Deliberation is one of the five Approaches to Community Science, which focuses on designing and facilitating conversations that help community groups identify or refine their priorities and make decisions about important issues at the intersection of science, society, and policy. In this session, we will share stories of successful Dialogue & Deliberation events at museums, review best practices for designing these events, and provide time for participants to brainstorm and problem-solve together in small groups.
“Community Science Principles in Practice” Training
Thursday, June 6, 2:30-4:00 pm Eastern Time
This training will focus on operationalizing community science concepts included in ASTC’s Community Science Framework. In this session, we will walk participants through using a rubric to assess the inclusion of community science attributes in project plans. There will be ample time for questions and to hear from fellow community science practitioners.
If you’d like to stay informed about the Community Science Initiative, you can sign up for our mailing list, and join our next Community Science Clinic to meet and discuss with like-minded professionals working on community science.