Public Engagement with Science and Informal Science Education"

I received an email from a colleague at the American Association for the Advancement of Science who  coauthored an important report: “Many Experts, Many Audiences: Public Engagement with Science and Informal Science Education.” Some terrific information in here re: how science and the public can share insights more effectively.

Although the primary focus of this report is on science education, it touches upon public engagement in matters of science policy (which really just boils down to scientists/government educating citizens on “the facts” and the public educating scientists/government on risks, opinions, values, solutions, etc).

I’m personally interested in this topic because I’d like to see Congress and scientists work more closely with the public on major matters of science policy and one prevailing stumbling block is the question “how will this work?”  This report along with a blue print recently outlined by Obama’s team and hundreds of successful international examples should help solve that mystery a bit.

“Many Experts, Many Audiences: Public Engagement with Science and Informal Science Education” is a report published by the Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE) and produced by the CAISE Public Engagement with Science Inquiry Group.