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Resource of the Week

Black and white line drawing - person swimming with fish

Resource of the Week: Teaching Science Communication

    C&E Section leadership co-facilitated a discussion around teaching science communication as part of ESA’s Water Cooler series. Follow this link for a list of valuable resources.        

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Overall tone of image is blue. Water droplets landing on seed heads (look like long thin hairs, like a dandelion)

NEW: Awards for Science Communication from C&E Section

Recognition of important work matters.  Since our inception, the Communication and Engagement Section has intended to offer awards to recognize the intellectual, scientific, and civic contributions made by ESA members active in public engagement and science communication.  For years, our section has worked toward being able to put money, and the credibility of a professional society, into our efforts to…

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Screenshot of website. Follow links in main text for accessible content.

Resource of the Week: We Rep STEM + Juneteenth

We Rep STEM “believe[s] science is for everyone and […]want to celebrate everyone in the field — NOT just the loudest people in the room. This website aims to celebrate STEM minorites — people of colour, professionals with disabilites, members of the LGBTQ community, Indigenous researchers, women of all races, scientists in niche areas of expertise — and everyone in between.”…

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Yellow background. IMage of a raised, black fist at left of image. Test reads: Black Lives Matter. Science. Technology. Engineering. Math.

Black Lives Matter (first posted 6/3/2020)

This statement was first distributed to our members via our monthly newsletter, issued 3 June 2020. We are posting it here for posterity, and to hold ourselves accountable to continued efforts toward justice and equality in the spheres we have influence. Dear Section Members & Friends, We write to you today in solidarity with and affirmation of our fellow Black…

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Member Highlight: Emily Cloyd & Kika Tuff part of team launching AAAS’s new How We Respond projcet

The How We Respond project launched from AAAS includes a report and multimedia stories that highlight the ways U.S. communities are actively and effectively responding to climate change, in particular at the local, state and regional levels, and the critical role of science and scientists in their response. Section members Emily Cloyd (AAAS) and Kika Tuff (Impact Media Lab; former C&E…

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Screenshot from the article

Resource of the Week: A visual “taxonomy” of great writing

  From the incomparable writer, Maria Popova, and her wide-ranging, powerful Brain Pickings site, comes a brief, thought-provoking “taxonomy” of the three levels of good science writing. Don’t stop at this article – her site is a treasure trove of big ideas, compelling quotations from science writers renown and obscure, and more.    

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Screenshot of the article

Resource of the Week: Expanding the role of social science in conservation

  A discussion of the relationship between social science research philosophy, methodology, and methods and conservation, written in response to a Methods in Ecology and Evolution special feature on qualitative methods for conservation. The paper specifically emphasizes the importance of a clear distinction between the reality of qualitative data versus the notion of qualitative methods. Excerpt from the abstract: We start with…

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Screenshot of the article mentioned in the post - see link for full text.

Resource of the Week: Curing “Plant Blindness” vs. Growing Plant Love

Last year, we featured two #MySciComm posts by co-founders of Plant Love Stories, and at #ESA2018, we hosted Plant Love Stories at our booth at the Annual Meeting. Now, we’re highlighting a related publication informed by that project: a commentary in the journal Plants, People, Planet (published by the New Phytologist Trust). They write: We have a duty to conserve plants…

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Screenshot from climateoutreach.org.

Resource of the Week: How to Have a Conversation about Climate Change

ClimateOutreach.org is, according to their website, “Europe’s leading climate change communicators, bridging the gap between research and practice and helping to widen engagement across a broader spectrum of society.” Until August 19, 2019, they are accepting participants for a climate change project to investigate the impacts of training on people’s daily-life conversations about climate change. They provide training, support, reporting mechanisms,…

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Screenshot of website; follow links for full text

Resource of the Week: Utilizing Social Media in the Classroom

LSU’s Science Communication Specialist, Dr. Paige Jarreau, shares advice about using social media in the classroom. Excerpt: “In college classrooms, faculty of all fields try to find new ways to engage students and help them gain more experience communicating in the science world. Some of them turn to social media. Science Communication Specialist for LSU College of Science Dr. Paige Jarreau utilizes…

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Screenshot of www.tolerance.org

Resource of the Week: Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center

Excerpts from www.tolerance.org: “Our mission is to help teachers and schools educate children and youth to be active participants in a diverse democracy.” Free resources include: Workshops Trainings Facilitator Guides Self-Guided Learning Webinars Podcasts “Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators—teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners—who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the…

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Screenshot of article from InsideHigherEd.com; follow link for full text

Resource of the Week: A Provocative Take on Work-Life Balance & Grad School Activism

A thought-provoking take on the synergy between activism and technical proficiency from theoretical physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein. Spoiler alert, she writes, “While often necessary, [activism] is not a substitute for technical proficiency. Dr. Prescod-Weinstein is an American cosmologist, science writer and equality activist based at the University of New Hampshire. In addition to major work with NASA, FQXI and more, she maintains…

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Screenshot of website; follow links for full text

Resource of the Week: Decolonising STEM Reading List from Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

In recognition of #NationalIndigenousPeoplesDay, we’re sharing this Decolonising STEM Reading List from theoretical physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein provides a powerful, necessary deep-look into the history and current practices of science and the relationship of science to oppression, colonialism, and more. Dr. Prescod-Weinstein recommends starting your reading with “Making Meaning of ‘Decolonizing’” to fully understand the context in which she situates her…

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Screenshot of NCID Twitter account

Resource of the Week: National Center for Institutional Diversity

Extensive resources are available from the University of Michigan’s National Center for Institutional Diversity. NCID’s mission is: “We aim to create a more equitable and inclusive society through the production, catalyzation, and elevation of diversity scholarship.” See their website and Twitter feed to connect.

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Illustration of a sea slug (an undersea creature that looks a bit like a worm with horns). Slug is purple with yellow spots (not life-like representation). The slug's slime trail is rainbow-colored. The text reads: Sea Slugs are all simultaneous hermaphrodites.

Resource of the Week: #SciComm & #PrideMonth

It is Pride Month! Here are a few resources on representation, inclusion, and intersectionality with science. Stay tuned for more in our Resource of the Week series*, as the month progresses. As always, we’d love to hear your recommendations on additional resources to share in the series. LGBTQ+ STEM DAY “LGBTQ+ people in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) continue…

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Screenshot of a cartoon on the website homepage: man in lab coat, holding clipboard with checklist, looks up with surprised expression at a "which way to go" road marker with thirteen different career option signs pointing in different directions. Options range from research and biotech to sales writing and startup.

Resource of the Week: Science careers and individual development plans

  According to their website, “myIDP provides: Exercises to help you examine your skills, interests, and values A list of 20 scientific career paths with a prediction of which ones best fit your skills and interests A tool for setting strategic goals for the coming year, with optional reminders to keep you on track Articles and resources to guide you…

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Screenshot of website: image of several hand-drawn cartoon figures, with title which reads: Learn to Draw Cartoons with the (now public domain) 'Famous Artist Cartoon Course' Textbook

Resource of the Week: Famous Artist Cartoon Course

  Artist Mike O’Brien shares the drawing resource that has been most impactful for enhancing his ability to draw people. Read through the comments for trouble-shooting tips, if you have issues downloading the files in the linked-to article.

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