Pathways in Ecological Research (PiER) mentoring program

Program name: Pathways in Ecological Research (PiER) mentoring program

Field station name: Lacawac Sanctuary Foundation

Outreach program type: Data collection & sharing (e.g., citizen science, BioBlitz), Internship/youth development

Years active: 1 year

Frequency: Annually

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
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[expand title=”Approaches for Learner Engagement” tag = “h2”]

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[expand title=”Strands of Informal Science Learning” tag = “h2”]

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[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

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Outreach program implementation and planning

[expand title=”People Involved” tag = “h2”]

Leaders

1 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: Mentors

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

10 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: female high school students

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

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[expand title=”Preparation & Implementation” tag = “h2”]

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.

Both the field station and participants provide 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

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[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: evaluation of presentations at statewide science symposium

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