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

海洋探索研究所(ODI)的这一路径项目旨在开发和试行一个项目模式，旨在填补公民科学研究和实践文献中的一个已确定的空白：如何有效地参与和更好地理解如何促进来自代表性不足群体的人参与公民科学研究。ODI模式围绕六个原则设计：(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的经验，(4)与科学家的直接互动，(5)逐渐增加对表示兴趣的参与者的责任，以及(6)消除参与障碍，如交通、语言、家庭参与和获得技术。项目涉及环境退化、犯罪猖獗的当地峡谷，与当地相关的STEM相关问题，并利用南加州海岸水研究项目(SCCWRP)的区域公民科学努力，专注于通过区域分水岭确定垃圾的来源和路径。该项目的科学研究部分集中在该地区的四个峡谷，采用了SCCWRP开发的抽样方法。参加其他ODI计划并对科学表现出领导力和兴趣的青年，与项目团队合作，为家庭和青年在课外和周末时间参与项目活动奠定基础。在继续参与该项目的基础上，社区参与者可以更多地参与该项目，从“新科学家”开始，通过“回归科学家”到“专家科学家”的角色。项目评估旨在确定拟议模式各组成部分在参与者参与、保留和学习STEM中代表性不足的群体方面的作用和重要性。这一路径项目的传播产品包括一份白皮书，描述了模型和吸取的经验教训，并向社区团体以及教育和公民科学实践者进行了演示。基于本路径研究期间对该模型的迭代方法的见解，随后的一个全面发展项目将寻求让全国各地的公民科学项目调整该模型，以增加在STEM中代表性不足的群体的个人的参与，包括建立ODI的公民科学规划。

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.