Pathways Project: Developing a Citizen Science Program Model to Engage Underrepresented Minority Groups

海洋发现研究所（ODI）的这一途径项目旨在开发和试点一个计划模型，旨在填补公民科学研究和实践文献中的一个空白：如何有效地参与并更好地了解如何促进来自代表性不足群体的人们参与公民科学研究。ODI模型围绕六个原则设计：（1）反映社区的领导人，（2）与当地相关的科学，（3）指导，而不是自我指导，经验，（4）与科学家直接互动，（5）逐步增加表达兴趣的参与者的责任，（6）消除参与障碍，如交通，语言，该项目解决了环境退化、犯罪猖獗的当地峡谷这一与当地科学、技术、工程和数学相关的问题，并利用了南加州沿海水域研究项目（SCCWRP）的区域公民科学努力，重点是确定垃圾通过区域流域的来源和路径。该项目的科学研究部分采用SCCWRP开发的采样方法，重点关注该地区的四个峡谷。青年谁是其他ODI计划的一部分，谁表现出领导能力和对科学的兴趣，与项目团队工作，脚手架家庭和青年参与项目活动发生在课后和周末的时间。在继续参与项目的基础上，社区参与者可以更多地参与项目，从“新科学家”开始，从“归国科学家”过渡到“专家科学家”。项目评估旨在确定拟议模式的组成部分在STEM代表性不足的群体参与者的参与，保留和学习方面的作用和重要性。该路径项目的传播产品包括一份描述模型和经验教训的白色文件，以及向社区团体、教育和公民科学从业者的介绍。基于在该路径研究期间对模型的迭代方法的见解，随后的全面-一个大规模的发展项目将寻求在全国范围内参与公民科学项目，以适应这种模式，以增加个人的参与，在STEM中代表性不足的群体，包括建立ODI的公民科学计划。

This Pathways project from the Ocean Discovery Institute (ODI) seeks to develop and pilot a program model designed to fill an identified gap in citizen science research and practice literature: how to effectively engage and better understand how to foster participation among people from under-represented groups in citizen science research. The ODI model is designed around six principles: (1) leaders who are reflective of the community, (2) science that is locally relevant, (3) guided, as opposed to self-guided, experiences, (4) direct interactions with scientists, (5) progressively increasing responsibilities for participants who express interest, and (6) removing barriers to participation, such as transportation, language, family involvement and access to technology.The project addresses environmentally degraded, crime-ridden local canyons, a locally relevant STEM-related issue, and leverages the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project's (SCCWRP) regional citizen science effort focused on identifying the sources and pathways of trash through regional watersheds. The scientific research components of the project focus on four canyons in the area, employing sampling methods developed by SCCWRP. Youth who are part of other ODI programs and who have demonstrated leadership and interest in science, work with the project team to scaffold family and youth participation in project activities taking place during afterschool and weekend time. Based on continued participation in the project, community participants can become more involved in the project, starting as "new scientists" and moving through "returning scientists" to "expert scientists" roles. The project evaluation seeks to identify the role and importance of the components of the proposed model with respect to participation, retention, and learning by participants from groups under-represented in STEM. The dissemination products of this Pathways project include a white paper describing the model and lessons learned as well as presentations to community groups and education and citizen science practitioners.Based on insights from the iterative approach to the model during this Pathways study, a subsequent full-scale development project would seek to engage citizen science projects around the nation in adapting the model to increase participation of individuals from groups underrepresented in STEM, including building out ODI's citizen science programming.