Amy Sharma, PhD is the executive director of Science for Georgia, an organization whose mission is to advocate for the responsible use of science in public policy, improve communication between scientists and the public, and increase public engagement with science. She chatted with ESAL about the value of factual scientific support to state legislators and interpersonal relationships between scientists and other community members.

Learn about how, founder and executive director of the Illinois Science Council, Monica Metzler uses her legal training and writing background from working with the Illinois House of Representatives and Democratic National Convention to make science concepts clear and accessible to the public.

The Thriving Earth Exchange project aims to amplify climate narratives in migrant communities. A science educator and artist, Amaris Alanis-Ribeiro, center director of the North Park Village Nature Center in northwest Chicago, noticed the changing demographics of Albany Park and realized the potential of partnering with their local community to share stories, inspire conversations, and celebrate unique cultures and identities across Chicago. Learn more about how Alanis-Ribeiro maintains a connection to her artistic interests, while forging a path in science outreach leadership.

Guest author Nancy Holt, who holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry and is a Co-founder of Science for New York (Sci4NY), shares tips to help scientists effectively work with communities.

ESAL interviewed founder and executive director of Science Moab Kristina Young to learn more about the impact of accessible place-based science to the local community. Learn more about how their Science Certified program promotes building science communication and encourages visitors to responsibly engage with the landscape.

By Robin Mays The Coastal and Estuarine Ecology Lab (CEELAB) was founded in 1997 at the University of Central Florida (UCF) with a focus on the ecology of coastal and estuarine ecosystems, conservation biology, and restoration. CEELAB, along with collaborators and partners such as the Marine Discovery Center, the National Park Service, and several Florida […]

ESAL spoke with Natalie Celmo, senior project engineer, and Ellie Carley, senior program coordinator, to learn how they support underserved groups through the Community Engineering Corps. The Community Engineering Corps provides pro-bono engineering and technical assistance in partnership with communities in need.

ESAL spoke with Kelly Oten, an assistant professor at NCSU, to the North Carolina Bradford Pear Bounty's goals and its collaboration with North Carolina State University (NCSU) Extension, and the state’s Forest Service, Urban Forest Council, and Wildlife Federation to remove the ‘Bradford’ pear, an invasive and nuisance species in the South.

ECO City Farms is a non-profit training and learning urban farm in Maryland that aims to sustain the local environment as well as provide healthy food to the surrounding community. CEO Margaret Morgan-Hubbard embraces the tenets of agroecology to enhance food security and access to nutrition to locals of Prince George’s County. ESAL discussed the holistic training practices and positive impact provided by ECO City Farms with Morgan-Hubbard.

The Vaccination Conversations with Scientists program is a collaborative effort between volunteer scientists and engineers at Cornell and local county health departments to answer questions about vaccine safety and COVID-19 in the community. ESAL spoke with Kara Fikrig, Kara Rode Webber, and Rachael Skye to learn about their approach to overcoming vaccine hesitancy.

ESAL spoke with Sarah Fisher, the director of environmental education at the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center to discuss importance of context on impact of environmental education efforts.

ESAL had the opportunity to speak with Meridith Perkins, current executive director of nonprofit Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, about canopy coverage in underserved communities and the importance of environmental education. Learn more about how Meridith brings empowers the local community with skills and opportunities to combat climate change in their own backyard.