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, in-person training in informal science communication for public audiences, with a focus on reaching K–12 students and their teachers. With an emphasis on their own research, participants will build compelling narratives to share science topics with a diverse audience through a video presentation, short talks, and question and answer sessions. 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
Topics will include how people learn and understanding audience needs. You will practice carefully refining your message, presentation skills, and question and answer facilitation. Time will be allocated for brainstorming, prototyping, and reflection. Through this training, participants will create a video and a live presentation that can be shared with K–12 classrooms and the general public.
2024 Series Dates:January 12, January 19, January 26, February 2, 9:00am-12:00pm
Virtual Scientist in a Classroom Program
Following the training, participants will join our Virtual Scientist in a Classroom Program. This program allows K–12 teachers to share the videos created during the January training with their students and request a thirty-minute long, live question-and-answer session for their classroom with a Science Education Partner of their choosing. This is an opportunity for Science Education Partners to engage in dialogue with and gain insights into diverse audiences. Sessions are scheduled at a time that works for both the classroom and the Science Education Partner.
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 that inspires curiosity
- Consider their audience and present effectively to diverse groups
- Create visually appealing presentations that are appropriate and engaging for a non-technical audience
- Connect their research to the larger context of people’s daily lives.
- Modify their approach based on feedback and reflection
Who Is Encouraged to Apply
- Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers interested in public outreach
- Graduate students or postdoctoral researchers participating in Broader Impact projects
- Participants should have an active research project
How to Apply
Participants must have the support of their department to register. 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.