NEON education and outreach: Building capacity for using data, engaging communities and participating in citizen science

Background/Question/Methods

During year one of construction, NEON (the National Ecological Observatory Network) Education and Public Engagement staff are focused on developing three areas of the educational program, including (1) the first phase of the NEON web portal, (2) an online Citizen Science Academy, and (3) an undergraduate internship program. In addition, we are actively engaging scientific audiences in the early phases of site construction using a variety of tactics including launching an online NEON Community of Practice, celebrating construction activities at NEON sites, and redesigning the NEON web site to provide a window into NEON construction activities.

Results/Conclusions

Developing the first phase of the NEON web portal includes identifying potential use cases and “requirements” for our general and citizen science areas of the web portal. With this initial launch of the NEON web portal during 2013, users will be able to participate in a variety of Project BudBurst citizen science activities, join the NEON Community of Practice, review construction progress across the country, and find detailed information on topics such as project design, data products, and upcoming activities.

The online Citizen Science Academy provides professional development opportunities for formal and informal educators to learn about citizen science as well as ways for educators to engage their students in citizen science experiences. Enrollment for courses this spring filled to capacity (over 200 participants) within two weeks of announcing the course, suggesting that educators are seeking out these professional development opportunities.

Beginning in 2013, the NEON will embed undergraduate interns in an environment that involves collaborative work among scientists, engineers, software developers, and educators to build and maintain the observatory network. The goals of the internship program are to (1) broaden participation in STEM experiences by traditionally under-represented groups, and (2) prepare future generations of STEM professionals to design, analyze and use NEON-type infrastructure and data.

NEON welcomes the opportunity to fully engage the ecological community in parallel with the beginning of construction. Our goals for engagement are: (1) stakeholders feel informed and heard, (2) stakeholders understand why it is important for NEON to move forward (how it affects them), (3) stakeholders see NEON as a wise use of limited resources, and (4) stakeholders feel ready and prepared to use NEON when it comes online. Early results suggest that ecologists are most interested in site construction schedules and data collection protocols.