Overview
As a Science Education Partner at the Harvard Museum of Natural History, science graduate students and postdoctoral researchers will participate in a multi-day, remote training in informal science communication for public audiences. With an emphasis on their own research, participants will build compelling narratives to share science topics with a diverse audience through videos and webinar presentations. Our goal is to connect the professional experience of our museum education staff with the science expertise of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Together, we can build the effectiveness of public science communication here at Harvard and engage the public in scientific thinking at the edge of new discoveries.
Program Details
January Science Education Partners Training
Individual Mentoring Sessions
February 1–11, 2021: Participants will have one or more sessions with a museum educator to polish their video or webinar presentation
I Heart Science Virtual Festival
Further Event Participation
Participants may choose to participate in additional events and programs throughout the semester
Outcomes
After participating in the Science Education Partners program, participants will be able to:
- Explain their research clearly to the public in a way that is engaging, understandable, relevant, and inspires curiosity.
- Consider their audience and present effectively to diverse groups
- Use materials from their research to engage learners
- Connect their research to the larger context of people’s daily lives
- Measure their success with tools for reflection and feedback
Who Is Encouraged to Apply
- Graduate students interested in public outreach who have identified the focus of their research
- Graduate students or postdoctoral researchers participating in Broader Impact projects
- Postdoctoral researchers interested in public outreach
- Former Science Education Partners wanting to apply their skills to remote learning experiences
How to Apply
Participants will be accepted via a nomination process through their department chairs. Interested applicants should contact their departments.
Contact Arielle Moon (arielleascrizzi@hmsc.harvard.edu) or Wendy Derjue-Holzer (wderjue@hmsc.harvard.edu) with questions about the content or logistics of the training.