Connecting Science and Art for Effective Community Engagement

Learning

Connecting Science and Art for Effective Community Engagement

Illustration of a city in the background. Green header border at the top and a green box in the middle of the graphic. The text on the left in the header says, "Engineers & Scientists Acting Locally." On the right, the text in headers says, "May 19, 2022 4:00 PM Eastern Time." The text in the middle box says, "Connecting Science and Art for Effective Community Engagement / Confirmed Panelists / Kathryn Semmens, PhD / Science Director, Nurture Nature Center / Narges Mahyar, PhD / Assistant Professor, U Mass"

In order to develop a scientific enterprise that benefits everyone, scientists must engage with the communities their work impacts and serves.

While public engagement with science occurs through a variety of avenues, such as museums, national parks, and makerspaces, developing strong, lasting connections between scientists and the communities in which they live and work remains challenging.

Increasingly, scientists have begun to recognize the value of leveraging art in their outreach efforts. After all, science and art have a lot in common - they both involve creativity and communicating with others. The arts can go beyond traditional science communication by serving as a useful tool to reach broader audiences and build emotional connections.

The panelists showcased in this event lead local community engagement at the intersection of art and science, not only using art as a medium to educate about science, but also to empower citizens to take evidence-based action. 

Engineers & Scientists Acting Locally (ESAL) is a nationwide organization dedicated to increasing local government and community engagement by people with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). ESAL was launched by engineers and scientists who have worked in public policy. Visit our ESAL website to learn more and sign up for notifications of future events