by Hannah Webber
Participatory sciences are advancing research, learning, and action across science fields. Sometimes called citizen or community science, these practices can foster a shared understanding of a place or an issue, and can be a valuable way to cultivate a sense of stewardship and resilience. Schoodic Institute is partnering with the Citizen Science Association and UNH Cooperative Extension to offer a free multi-day practical, hands-on workshop for designing or refining your own project(s). Learn from experts and each other as you apply principles of good design to a project you bring to the workshop (if you don’t have a project, don’t worry, you’ll be helping someone else with theirs while still building your own skills). Walk away with an actionable framework for your participatory science project(s), participatory science project skills, and a network of practitioners to help you in the future. 
Topics included in the workshop:
- Defining project goals
- Ten principles of participatory science
- Identifying resources – what kind of support do you need and who can help? Will your project need buckets, butterfly nets, cameras, canoes, funding?
- Data management – how do we align data collection with goals, and volunteers?
- Volunteers – what are you asking volunteers to put in, what are they getting out, and how will you know if that’s what they really get out of your project?
- Pitching your participatory science project – every project needs a pitch; we’ll help you refine yours
Who are these workshops for?
Whether you’re a resource manager, a steward at a land trust, a researcher, or an interpreter or educator; whether you work for a park, a town, a tribe, or a non-profit; this workshop will help you increase your expertise with participatory science. This workshop is for teams of 2 to 5 people who have started to conduct, or want to conduct, participatory science projects. As a non-profit partner to Acadia National Park we are particularly interested in supporting projects that increase our scientific understanding of public and privately conserved lands and cultural resources, and the publics’ interest in them. And again – if you don’t have a project, don’t worry, you’ll be helping someone else with theirs while still building your own skills.
Our goals are to deepen understanding of participatory science and to broaden the community of people who consider themselves participatory science practitioners. Additionally, we want to encourage participatory science for natural and cultural resource conservation, while ensuring the highest quality projects, and building a community of people who learn from each other.
Where and when is this workshop?
March 4-6, 2024 at Barbara C. Harris Camp and Conference Center, Greenfield, New Hampshire.
The workshop will start in the early afternoon on Monday and conclude at lunchtime on Wednesday. The workshop is limited to 25 participants. Teams of two to five people are encouraged to apply, but individuals are welcome. Applications for the workshops will be accepted on a rolling basis. Applicants that are selected to participate will be notified well prior to the workshop so that they can make any necessary travel plans.
To apply, please visit:
https://forms.gle/mgSPsX6dR8mumycx7
For more information, please contact:
Hannah Webber | hwebber@schoodicinstitute.org | 207-412-8689
View workshop information as a PDF here.
Cost Information:
Schoodic Institute is offering this free workshop (½ day March 4, full day March 5, ½ day March 6) and will cover all expenses for room and board. Participants are responsible only for transportation costs.
