Science outreach
Encyclopedia
Science outreach, also called Education and Public Outreach (EPO or E/PO) or simply Public outreach, is an umbrella term
for a variety of activities by research institutes
, universities
, and institutions such as science museum
s, aimed at promoting public awareness (and understanding) of science
and making informal contributions to science education
.
) now requires all of its projects to organize suitable outreach activities. Also working to inform the public are organizations such as Communicating Astronomy to the Public and Washington Declaration on Communicating Astronomy to the Public that organize conferences for the public on science issues and make efforts to put outreach on a more general institutional footing.
Recently, an increasing number of projects have been hiring designated outreach scientists (part-time or full-time) that handle public relations on for their project. There are also specialized outreach providers such as the Education branch of the Space Science Institute
in Boulder, Colorado and the Education and Public Outreach Group at Sonoma State University
which offer to organize a project's outreach activities on a contractual basis.
In addition to outreach by research institutions, an important part of informal science education are outreach programs such as science museum
s and science festival
s.
organized the first of the Royal Institution's
Christmas Lectures
.
Public talks can be part of a lecture series, given at a science festival
or in cooperation with a special interest group such as a local astronomy club. Public presentations can have a variety of formats, including straightforward lecture formats with or without experimental demonstrations
, guided live interviews, and discussions with several participants and a moderator. There are also less formal are initiatives such as Café Scientifique
, in which a café or bar is the venue for regular meetings involving guest scientists that come to talk about their work or take part in discussions with members of the public.
.
Another effective way of outreach are workshops aimed at teachers – presenting results of modern science, as well as suitable ways for integrating them into existing curriculum.
s, public science
events in which working scientists can participate both as judges and as sponsors of student projects.
Other prizes reward outreach work concerning specific subjects, such as:
Umbrella term
An umbrella term is a word that provides a superset or grouping of concepts that all fall under a single common category. Umbrella term is also called a hypernym. For example, cryptology is an umbrella term that encompasses cryptography and cryptanalysis, among other fields...
for a variety of activities by research institutes
Research institute
A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
, universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
, and institutions such as science museum
Science museum
A science museum or a science centre is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in museology have broadened the range of...
s, aimed at promoting public awareness (and understanding) of science
Public awareness of science
Public awareness of science , also public understanding of science , is a term relating to the attitudes, behaviours, opinions and activities that comprise the relations between the general public or lay society as a whole to scientific knowledge and organisation.It is a comparatively new approach...
and making informal contributions to science education
Science education
Science education is the field concerned with sharing science content and process with individuals not traditionally considered part of the scientific community. The target individuals may be children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education comprises...
.
Scope and history
While there have always been individual scientists interested in educating the public, science outreach has recently become more organized. For example, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
) now requires all of its projects to organize suitable outreach activities. Also working to inform the public are organizations such as Communicating Astronomy to the Public and Washington Declaration on Communicating Astronomy to the Public that organize conferences for the public on science issues and make efforts to put outreach on a more general institutional footing.
Recently, an increasing number of projects have been hiring designated outreach scientists (part-time or full-time) that handle public relations on for their project. There are also specialized outreach providers such as the Education branch of the Space Science Institute
Space Science Institute
The Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation formed in 1992. Its purpose is to create and maintain an environment where scientific research and education programs can flourish in an integrated fashion....
in Boulder, Colorado and the Education and Public Outreach Group at Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University is a public, coeducational business and liberal arts college affiliated with the California State University system. The main campus is located in Rohnert Park, California, United States and lies approximately south of Santa Rosa and north of San Francisco...
which offer to organize a project's outreach activities on a contractual basis.
In addition to outreach by research institutions, an important part of informal science education are outreach programs such as science museum
Science museum
A science museum or a science centre is a museum devoted primarily to science. Older science museums tended to concentrate on static displays of objects related to natural history, paleontology, geology, industry and industrial machinery, etc. Modern trends in museology have broadened the range of...
s and science festival
Science festival
A science festival is a public event featuring a variety of science- and technology-related activities—from lectures, exhibitions, workshops, live demonstrations of experiments, guided tours and panel discussions to cultural events such as theater plays, readings and musical productions, all with...
s.
Public talks/lectures/discussions
Lectures are probably the oldest form of science outreach, dating back to the 1820s when Michael FaradayMichael Faraday
Michael Faraday, FRS was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry....
organized the first of the Royal Institution's
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research, based in London.-Overview:...
Christmas Lectures
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are a series of lectures on a single topic, which have been held at the Royal Institution in London each year since 1825. The lectures present scientific subjects to a general audience, including young people, in an informative and entertaining manner....
.
Public talks can be part of a lecture series, given at a science festival
Science festival
A science festival is a public event featuring a variety of science- and technology-related activities—from lectures, exhibitions, workshops, live demonstrations of experiments, guided tours and panel discussions to cultural events such as theater plays, readings and musical productions, all with...
or in cooperation with a special interest group such as a local astronomy club. Public presentations can have a variety of formats, including straightforward lecture formats with or without experimental demonstrations
Scientific demonstration
A scientific demonstration is a scientific experiment carried out for the purposes of demonstrating scientific principles, rather than for hypothesis testing or knowledge gathering ....
, guided live interviews, and discussions with several participants and a moderator. There are also less formal are initiatives such as Café Scientifique
Café Scientifique
Café Scientifique is a grassroots public science initiative currently running in 42 cities across the United Kingdom and cities in other countries. At least twelve cafés outside the UK are organised by the British Council alone. Similar but independent events have also sprung up in many cities...
, in which a café or bar is the venue for regular meetings involving guest scientists that come to talk about their work or take part in discussions with members of the public.
Visiting primary and secondary schools
School students and teachers are an important target group for science outreach. Outreach activities can include scientists visiting schools, giving talks at assemblies, discussions with students, or participation in events such as career fairs. One organization that focuses on this kind of science outreach is RobogalsRobogals
Robogals is an international student-run organisation that aims to substantially increase the number of young women pursuing engineering in their tertiary studies and careers. Its primary activity is fun, educational robotics workshops aimed at girls in primary and secondary school...
.
Workshops/schools for teachers and/or students
Inviting groups of school students to a research institution for a workshop is another popular form of outreach. Formats range from a one-day visit to more involved week-long events such as Perimeter Institute's International Summer School for Young Physicists (two-week-long programs for a total of a hundred Canadian and international students from grade 11).Another effective way of outreach are workshops aimed at teachers – presenting results of modern science, as well as suitable ways for integrating them into existing curriculum.
Supporting science fairs and similar events
Besides organizing independent events, many outreach organizations sponsor existing events that promote sciences awareness. A notable examples are science fairScience fair
A science fair is generally a competition where contestants present their science project results in the form of a report, display board, and models that they have created. Science fairs allow students in grade schools and high schools to compete in science and/or technology activities...
s, public science
Public science
Public science refers to a science outreach project that has been conducted outdoors or in another type of public or accessible space such as a public park, metro stop, library, university campus, etc. Similar to public art, there are typically aspects of collaboration, community support and...
events in which working scientists can participate both as judges and as sponsors of student projects.
Awards
A number of awards honor commitment to science outreach. Prominent examples are:- Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology (AAASAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceThe American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
) - Descartes Prize for Excellence in Science Communication (European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
) - Michael Faraday PrizeMichael Faraday PrizeThe Michael Faraday Prize is awarded by the Royal Society of London for "excellence in communicating science to UK audiences". Named after Michael Faraday, the medal itself is made of silver gilt, and is accompanied by a purse of £2500...
for communicating science to a UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
audience (Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
) - Communicator award (Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftDeutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftThe Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is an important German research funding organization and the largest such organization in Europe.-Function:...
)
Other prizes reward outreach work concerning specific subjects, such as:
- Nicholson Medal for Human Outreach (American Physical SocietyAmerican Physical SocietyThe American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
) - Charles A. Black Award for exemplary contributions to public understanding of food and agricultural scienceCharles A. Black AwardThe Borlaug CAST Communication Award, formerly the Charles A. Black Award, is presented annually by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology for outstanding achievement by a scientist, engineer, technologist, or other professional working in the agricultural, environmental, or food...
External links
- Stanford University Science Outreach Office – links to outreach programs for teachers, students, and the general public
- Education/Outreach resources at the Space Science InstituteSpace Science InstituteThe Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation formed in 1992. Its purpose is to create and maintain an environment where scientific research and education programs can flourish in an integrated fashion....
- Scientists in education
- NASA Office of Space Science Education and Outreach Broker/Facilitator Program
- Science for All Americans (from the AAASAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceThe American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
) - Sonoma State University E/PO group
- Communicating Astronomy with the Public Journal
- International Year of Astronomy 2009
- Vanderbilt University Center for Science Outreach
- Let's Talk Science
- STEMout
- Actua
- Geobulletin A collection of geoscientific blogs
- University of Wisconsin – Madison Science Portal