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]
Outreach Goals
- ✗ 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
Approaches for Learner Engagement
Strands of Informal Science Learning
Outreach Content
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
Outreach program implementation and planning
People Involved
Leaders
2 program leader(s):
- ✗ 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.
Participants are recruited in the following ways
- ✓ 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
Preparation & Implementation
The program is described in the following ways:
- ✗ 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.
The field station provides all equipment.
- ✓ 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
Desired Learning Outcomes & Determining Success
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.