Citizen & Community Science Teacher Workshop

Citizen & Community Science Teacher Workshop

Image: Citizen & Community Science Teacher Workshop flyer

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Community Science (also known as Citizen Science, Volunteer Monitoring, Crowdsourcing and many more synonyms) is a way of making the research process more inclusive and accessible to the public. Participants help collect data around a phenomenon of concern—water quality, weather, public health, astronomy, etc.—and through their collective action provide new insights, data sources, discoveries and perspectives. Data is not restricted to just numbers in a spreadsheet, either. Data can be pictures, videos, audio sounds, games and more.

While community science projects can vary in size and structure, the goal is to have more people involved in the process of science. There are many global issues that are too big to be solved solely by institutional research. Scientists need more field data, so bringing more people into the process makes for more robust research.

K-12 schools are ideal partners in these efforts because they represent a large group of participants that can collect data on a somewhat regular schedule. And the benefits don’t just extend to the project as lessons can be aligned with state standards, participants monitor local place-based phenomena and the data analysis component enhances environmental literacy.

Whether you are new to community science or have participated in a project in the past, we encourage you to sign-up for this free two-day workshop. During this professional development, you will learn about current projects, brainstorm future opportunities and meet potential partners that can support you in your efforts.

*We recognize that finding childcare for weekend professional development opportunities can be a challenge. Therefore, we will provide a concurrent education enrichment program for children (ages 5-12) of participating teachers. This way families can share in the experience. There is a limit of two children per teacher.

Program Dates: March 26 – 27,  2022  in Thibodaux, Louisiana

Program Highlights:

  • Learn about current community science opportunities and tools
  • Develop contacts for future collaborations and field trips
  • Explore coastal habitats in south central Louisiana
  • Receive continuing education credits
  • All lodging, meals and activities are included at no cost to the participant

Application Deadline: March 4, 2022

To Apply: Community Science Teacher Professional Development Workshop Application

Program Contact: Jennifer Cook at [email protected]