Program name: Docent program
Field station name: Coal Oil Point Reserve
Outreach program type: Volunteer support
Years active: 16+ years
Frequency: Daily
Course credit: No
Wiki Table of Contents
Outreach program characteristics
[✓ = applies to this outreach program, ✗ = does not apply to this outreach program]
[expand title=”Outreach Goals” tag = “h2”]
- ✗ Build community
- ✗ Disseminate place-based knowledge and/or skills
- ✓ Encourage conservation or environmental stewardship
- ✗ Inspire curiosity
- ✗ Make field station resources available to the public
- ✗ Promote STEM careers
- ✗ Raise awareness of the field station's work
- ✗ Raise money
- ✓ Reach a particular audience
- ✗ Teach about the environment generally
- ✗ Teach researchers how to communicate with the public
[expand title=”Approaches for Learner Engagement” tag = “h2”]
- ✗ Community Learning
- ✗ Contextual Learning
- ✗ Discovery-based Learning
- ✓ Experiential Learning
- ✗ Inquiry-based Learning
- ✗ Service Learning
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[expand title=”Strands of Informal Science Learning” tag = “h2”]
- ✗ Strand 1: Developing interest in science
- ✗ Strand 2: Understanding science knowledge
- ✗ Strand 3: Engaging in scientific reasoning
- ✗ Strand 4: Reflecting on science
- ✗ Strand 5: Engaging in scientific practice
- ✗ Strand 6: Identifying with the scientific enterprise
[/expand]
[expand title=”Outreach Content” tag = “h2”]
All topics are directly tied to the place where the program is situated.
- ✗ Animals
- ✗ Archeology
- ✗ Art
- ✗ Astronomy
- ✗ Biodiversity
- ✗ Biology
- ✗ Botany
- ✗ Chemistry
- ✗ Climate
- ✓ Conservation
- ✗ Ecology
- ✗ Ecosystems
- ✗ Engineering
- ✗ Environment
- ✗ Environmental Philosophy
- ✗ Evolution
- ✗ Field Science
- ✗ Fungi
- ✗ General Science
- ✗ Genetics
- ✗ Geographic Information Systems
- ✗ Land management
- ✗ Leadership
- ✗ Learning about Technology
- ✗ Limnology
- ✗ Marine Science
- ✗ Mathematics
- ✗ Microorganisms
- ✗ Natural History
- ✗ Paleontology
- ✗ Physics
- ✗ Plants
- ✗ Preservation
- ✗ Science Communication
- ✗ Social Sciences
- ✗ STEM Career Awareness
- ✗ Using Technology
- ✗ Water
- ✗ Other
[/expand]
Outreach program implementation and planning
[expand title=”People Involved” tag = “h2”]
Leaders
- ✗ Professional scientists
- ✗ Graduate students
- ✗ Professional educators
- ✓ Field station staff
- ✗ Volunteers
- ✗ Other
Scientists have the following roles:
- ✓ Organizers
- ✗ Teachers/Facilitators
- ✗ Participants
- ✗ Guest speakers
- ✓ Content reviewers
- ✗ Not involved
- ✗ Other
Leaders have the following credentials:
- ✗ Formal training in education (a university degree)
- ✓ Formal training in science (a university degree)
- ✗ Teaching experience (K-12 or University)
- ✗ Relevant certification
- ✗ None
- ✗ Other
Leaders are prepared in the following ways:
- ✗ One day or less of training
- ✗ Apprenticeship
- ✗ Self-taught or learned from experience
- ✗ Trained in communicating science
- ✗ Trained in educational practices
- ✓ Scientific training
- ✗ No training
- ✗ Other
Participants
50 participants on average per event.
- ✓ Word of mouth/flyers around town
- ✗ Schools (any type)
- ✓ Social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
- ✓ Organizational communication (e.g., listservs, newsletters, emails, pamphlets)
- ✓ Free local media (e.g., radio)
- ✗ Paid advertisements (e.g., newspapers, journals)
- ✗ Partnership with a particular group
- ✗ Other
Participants are from the following demographics:
- ✗ Youth (under 14 years)
- ✗ High School Students
- ✓ University Students
- ✗ Graduate Students
- ✓ Adults (18 years and older)
- ✗ All ages/Families
- ✓ Retirees
- ✓ Professionals
- ✗ Other
The following groups are recruited:
- ✗ Hispanic or Latinx
- ✗ African American/Black
- ✗ American Indian
- ✗ Alaska Native
- ✗ Pacific-Islander-American
- ✗ Urban, low income community
- ✗ Rural, low income community
- ✗ Immigrant community
- ✗ Persons with disabilities
- ✗ Women/girls
- ✗ Men/boys
- ✗ Other
[/expand]
[expand title=”Preparation & Implementation” tag = “h2”]
- ✗ We put a great deal of planning into implementing this program.
- ✗ This program has learning objectives.
- ✗ We rely on outside groups to plan and implement this program.
- ✗ Participants are guided through each part of the learning experience with instructional materials or a leader.
- ✗ The program includes lectures or presentations.
- ✗ Participants are given little or no instruction.
- ✗ Participants choose for themselves how to spend their time.
- ✗ We evaluate participants on what they have learned.
- ✓ Writing materials (e.g., pencil, pen, paper)
- ✗ Field notebooks
- ✗ Art supplies (e.g., scissors, paints, crayons, markers, glue, twine)
- ✗ Cameras (of any type)
- ✗ Apps on smartphones
- ✓ Computers
- ✗ Software/programs
- ✗ Compasses
- ✗ GPS devices
- ✗ Collecting equipment (e.g., nets, traps)
- ✓ Observation equipment (e.g., hand lens, binoculars, microscopes)
- ✗ Sensors or monitoring equipment (e.g., buoys, weather stations)
- ✗ Books
- ✗ Other
[/expand]
[expand title=”Desired Learning Outcomes & Determining Success” tag = “h2”]
Desired learning outcomes of the program are:
- ✗ Participants experience an increase or change in knowledge of the topic.
- ✗ Participants experience an increase or change in interest in the topic.
- ✗ Participants improve their data collection or field skills.
- ✗ Participants improve their data interpretation skills.
- ✗ Participants change aspects of their behavior and/or attitude.
- ✗ Participants learn the difference between anecdotal and empirical evidence.
- ✗ Participants express an interest in returning to the field station.
- ✗ Participants are more excited to spend time outdoors.
- ✗ Participants are more aware of STEM careers.
Success of the program is determined by the following:
- ✗ Attendance levels (i.e., how many participants are there?)
- ✗ Participation levels (i.e., how engaged are participants with the program?)
- ✗ Observation/perceptions
- ✗ End-of-program survey/questionnaire
- ✗ Review of participants’ work
- ✗ Tests/formal assessment
- ✗ Participant feedback (unsolicited)
- ✗ Ongoing or followup contact with the participants
- ✓ Other: we measure the sucess of the docent program though the level of compliance of beach goers with reserve policies.
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