Program name: Festivals and Resource Fairs
Field station name: National Great Rivers Research and Education Center
Outreach program type: Special event/s
Years active: 16+ years
Frequency: Annually
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: We use these events to talk to the public about research we are conducting and educational programs we offer. Sometimes, we showcase a children’s activity, which usually deals with macroinvertebrates, which is why I’ve selected animals.
Outreach program implementation and planning
People Involved
Leaders
3 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
100 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: These events are usually promoted by the lead organization and its partners. NGRREC is a partner on some of these event committees.
- ✗ 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.
No equipment is necessary.
- ✓ 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: Preserved specimens
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