Achieving Education Goals with Climate-Related Community and Citizen Science

There is strong evidence that citizen and community science (CCS) can serve as a powerful educational tool for participants of all ages. Some evidence suggests that in some contexts and programs, participating in CCS can improve science and environmental literacy, and may foster a sense of agency among participants who use the results of community and citizen science to make change in their lives, landscapes, and communities. If this is true, then what are the ways that CCS can bridge climate change science and climate change education? We addressed this question by systematically examining the kinds of educational resources and programming made available in association with climate-related community and citizen science. We acknowledge simultaneously that it is important to see participants in these efforts as leaders and holders of local expertise, as well as learners who may gain knowledge, skills and deeper understanding of climate change science and actions they may take on behalf of their community through participation in CCS projects.

In this poster we present findings from a broad survey of educational resources and initiatives accompanying community and citizen science projects related to climate science. We investigated programs that focus on 1) drivers of climate change, 2) ecosystem impacts, 3) vulnerability and resilience of human systems, and 4) mitigation in order to understand the breadth and diversity of activities that exist within these categories. We offer preliminary insights about the design features and strategies of CCS projects related to climate change, and in the kinds of educational resources and activities we observed. Specifically, we analyze the ways that the key features of climate-related CCS projects, such as structure, accessibility, and scale, may support formal and informal environmental and science education outcomes for adult and youth participants.