Civic Science Media Lab
@civicscimedia.bsky.social
We are documenting the practice of civic science one conversation at a time. https://civicsciencemedia.org
Jen Kretser, Director of Climate Initiatives for The Wild Center – a science center in the Adirondack Park in northern New York State, told the CSML this at a conference in San Francisco back in 2025: Co-creation with youth is one of the keys to success.
Formally introducing the Civic Science Media Lab Images Desk! We will be participating in the upcoming DC Arts Center Exhibit, which opens on July 24th and features many local DC artists. Learn more about the images desk and past exhibits: civicsciencemedia.org/csml-images-...
On this episode of Questions of the Day, Fanuel Muindi returns to Genspace in Brooklyn to continue an ongoing conversation with Dr. Casey Lardner, Executive Director of the community biology lab. Watch the full interview: civicsciencemedia.org/18-months-la...
Trending today on our website: What a first-time birder learned from the president of the Brookline Bird Club in Massachusetts. civicsciencemedia.org/what-a-first...
What a first-time birder learned from the president of the Brookline Bird Club in Massachusetts
When Shannon Geary, host of the Did You Know program in the CSML Newsroom, joined the Brookline Bird Club for a walk around Franklin Park, she met the club’s longtime president, Cliff Cook. Cook has…
civicsciencemedia.org
Coming soon: Our follow-up conversation with Dr. Casey Lardner, the Executive Director of Genspace, which is a community biology that has "served the greater New York area by providing hands-on STEAM education programs for youth and adults."
Last year, Boston launched a first-of-its-kind city Sunflower Beautification Grant to address the question which brought together 3 local organizations. Our intern Sofia Baah reports on the community science project they pitched. civicsciencemedia.org/in-south-bos...
In South Boston, three organizations team up to cultivate a sunny new green space for neighbors and pollinators alike
Last year, Boston launched a first-of-its-kind city Sunflower Beautification Grant to address the question: how can cities create and maintain green spaces for the benefit and consumption of a wide…
civicsciencemedia.org
If you missed it, Lucy Madden recently shared that 12 companies invested $180k to keep Letters to a Pre-Scientist free for students. We had many questions. Here are a few. civicsciencemedia.org/12-companies...
12 companies invest $180k to keep Letters to a Pre-Scientist free for students
The founding chief executive officer of Letters to a Pre-Scientist (LPS), Lucy Madden, recently shared on Linkedin that 12 companies put $180k behind the program this school year, more than doubling…
civicsciencemedia.org
A participatory science project during an eclipse studies how awe in nature fosters science identity and belonging. We talked to the authors. Image: (VA/Jeffrey P. Bowen/April 8, 2024). civicsciencemedia.org/a-participat...
A participatory science project during an eclipse studies how awe in nature fosters science identity and belonging
“One of the most exciting takeaways we can document here is that folks who participate in these participatory science or citizen science projects can benefit from it. They do feel awe, and that does…
civicsciencemedia.org
These are just some of the explorers who are helping us build the CSML network of programs that are documenting the practice of civic science, one question at a time. Explore the CSML Guide civicsciencemedia.org/all-programs/
In this 8th and final episode of season 1 of CSML's Science Engaged audio program, host Dr. Kristel Tjandra speaks with Meaghan McKasy, who studies how humor affects people’s attitudes and perceptions of science. civicsciencemedia.org/meaghan-mcka...
Meaghan McKasy on using humor to spark conversations on tough scientific issues
In this 8th and last episode of season 1 for Science Engaged, I speak with Meaghan McKasy, who studies how humor affects people’s attitude and perception of science. Dr. McKasy […]
civicsciencemedia.org
For this week's CSML IQ quiz, here's the question: Roughly how many U.S. adults say they have participated in a citizen science activity (i.e., collecting data, making observations, classifying images, etc.) at some point in their lives? Enter your answer here: civicsciencemedia.org
When CSML's Kacie Luaders asked what advice Quandra Gray, founder of What the Sprout, would give entrepreneurs who want to launch new science engagement initiatives, she used this term of the week: Un-institutionalize your skillset civicsciencemedia.org/term-of-the-...
Term of the Week: Un-institutionalize your skillset
The term “un-institutionalized your skillset” surfaced during a recent CivicSciTV Radio episode of Consider This Next, where host Kacie Luaders spoke with Quandra Gray, founder of What the Sprout.
civicsciencemedia.org
From our 2017 archives: A story in science by Amie Norton. "I have a language disability and a fine motor skill deficit. As a child, I would try not to speak up in class or speak too loudly because I was afraid I would misspeak." civicsciencemedia.org/weakness-bec...
When your greatest weakness becomes your greatest strength
I have a language disability and a fine motor skill deficit. As a child, I would try not to speak up in class or speak too loudly because I was afraid I would misspeak. I knew what I wanted to say in…
civicsciencemedia.org
CSML IQ: How many volunteers has Zooniverse reached through its people-powered research platform? A new question every day. Test your knowledge by visiting civicsciencemedia.org
Ceren Tunçer: I like this study because it provides insights into the science artists’ perspectives in making SciArt by revealing their behind-the-scenes motivations. civicsciencemedia.org/sciart-behin...
SciArt behind the scenes: The hows, whys, and whats of the science artists — a research digest
This study explored the goals pursued by science artists in creating their art. The authors identified several themes that ranged from a widely shared goal of connecting with the audience to more…
civicsciencemedia.org
We are excited to formally welcome Sofia Baah from the College of Arts, Media and Design (CAMD) at Northeastern University, who has already been hard at work this summer. civicsciencemedia.org/csml-summer-...
Questions of the Day is CSML's flagship program hosted by Dr. Fanuel Muindi. The first episode aired on May 6, 2019, and the program has since racked up 67 hours of interviews. Every conversation is an opportunity to experiment with asking better questions. civicsciencemedia.org/questions-of...
CSML special correspondent has been hosting the "Did You Know" series since 2025. In this 2025 clip, she takes us on a journey birding in Brookline, Massachusetts. Watch out for a new episode coming out soon! civicsciencemedia.org/what-a-first...
CSML's Bernadette Weigman talks with 4 researchers at Georgia Tech's Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society who share insights into how they are integrating lived experience into research and education. civicsciencemedia.org/georgia-tech...
How Georgia Tech’s Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society is integrating lived experience into research and education
As neurotechnology continues to advance, researchers are increasingly confronting questions that extend beyond engineering and neuroscience laboratories. Who gets to shape these technologies? How…
civicsciencemedia.org
In 2019, Jackie Giovanniello (then serving as Symposium Director at the Scientista Foundation) spoke with Fanuel Muindi on the Questions of the Day program. Here is part of what she told us about how they were thinking about impact. Watch the full conversation here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYz1...
Season 1 of SciCommTV Africa is a wrap! You can access the full season with initial insights from host Stephanie Okeyo's interviews by visiting our brand new dedicated page for the program. We are excited to share that Season 2 will start soon! civicsciencemedia.org/scicommtv-af...
SciCommTV Africa
SciCommTV Africa is a documentary-style interview program that examines how science communication is practiced across African contexts. Each episode follows a targeted line of inquiry, going deep…
civicsciencemedia.org
Melissa Anderson, Alexander Wilkins, and Timothy Riker talked to our very own Kristel Tjandra about engaging the Deaf community in research, accessible communication, and centering community priorities. civicsciencemedia.org/what-it-take...
What it takes to include Deaf voices in scientific research
Melissa Anderson, Alexander Wilkins, and Timothy Riker discuss engaging the Deaf community in research, accessible communication, and centering community priorities.
civicsciencemedia.org
From our archives: In Dec 2024, we took a walk with the CEO of Letters to a Prescientist (@prescientist) to talk about the progress they are making and the lessons they are learning. Here is part of that conversation between Fanuel Muindi & Lucy Madden from LPS. civicsciencemedia.org/letters-to-a...
“Every time somebody uploads a photo to iNaturalist or another citizen science project, it is an observation of biodiversity, but it’s also an observation of how someone interacted with the natural world." - Corey T. Callaghan civicsciencemedia.org/researchers-...
Researchers examine the expanding use of participatory science data by state agencies
As researchers increasingly rely on data collected by citizen scientists via platforms such as iNaturalist and eBird, scientists at the University of Florida are looking to codify best practices for…
civicsciencemedia.org
During Astronomy Night at the Intrepid Museum, Odysseus Bailer told us this: “I want other people to experience the joy and awe that I do whenever I look at Jupiter, or the moon, or the sun, or any other celestial object in the sky." Explore the photo essay, civicsciencemedia.org/scenes-from-...
Scenes from Astronomy Night at the Intrepid Museum, New York City
On the deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum CSFINDEX: IMFI ▲27.8% Rev YoY , the aircraft-carrier-turned-museum docked off the West Side of New York City, amateur astronomers […]
civicsciencemedia.org
“That’s a big goal, and the through line to what I do is trying to bring humanity into science, or to humanize scientists, which also is a big reason why I got into doing a lot of science communication and science writing work.” — Risa Schenbly civicsciencemedia.org/risa-schenbl...
Risa Schenbly’s journey to researching ecological grief and telling its stories
In this 23rd episode of Changemakers, I speak with Risa Schenbly, a graduate student from Arizona State University, about how her personal experiences with grief have shaped both her research and her…
civicsciencemedia.org
In this latest research digest published in the Observer, Julianna Goenaga examines a 2024 paper titled “Evaluation of content knowledge and instructor impacts in a middle school neuroscience outreach program: lessons from Brain Explorers." civicsciencemedia.org/brain-explor...
Brain Explorers distills lessons from evaluating its neuroscience outreach programs: a research digest
A 2024 paper published in Frontiers in Education examines content knowledge gains and instructor impacts in a middle school neuroscience outreach program in Michigan using multiple assessment…
civicsciencemedia.org
Behind the scenes of a recent conversation with Greg Hemmings on Consider this Next with Kacie. Listen to the conversation here. civicsciencemedia.org
At @sciencetalkorg.bsky.social 2026 conference, we asked #scicomm ers the following question: what is your funding outlook for public engagement? Here’s what they told us:
UNESCO-backed platform seeks to encourage information sharing among freshwater management citizen science projects civicsciencemedia.org/unesco-backe...
UNESCO-backed platform seeks to encourage information sharing among freshwater management citizen science projects
Updated on March 11, 2026 What if a citizen science project in British Columbia that’s focused on preserving water resources could learn from citizen science projects in South Africa or […]
civicsciencemedia.org