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COMMUNITY:
Report

The Nature of Community

August 31, 2019 | Public Programs, Professional Development, Conferences, and Networks, Informal/Formal Connections

In The Nature of Community: SCIENCES, we share the lessons learned from an innovative partnership designed to leverage the strengths of two nonprofit organizations—a large cultural institution and a smaller, deeply-rooted community-based organization, both of which offer informal science education expertise.

You’ll read first-hand reflections of how staff members, community leaders and members, children, and adults experienced this partnership: the expectations, surprises, challenges, successes, and lessons learned. We hope the description of this partnership inspires other organizations to reach outside of their comfort zones, to try something new, to falter, to listen and learn, to collaborate, to build on complementary strengths, and ultimately to reinforce connections to nature and science wherever you live.

Suggested citation:

Breen Bartecki, S., Kelly, L.-A.D., & Marks, T. (2019). The nature of community. SCIENCES: Supporting a Community’s Informal Education Needs—Confidence and Empowerment in STEM. Brookfield, IL: Chicago Zoological Society.

TEAM MEMBERS

  • REVISE logo
    Principal Investigator
    Chicago Zoological Society
  • REVISE logo
    Co-Principal Investigator
    Chicago Zoological Society
  • 2014 08 20 Dean Grosshandler headshot 200 by 200
    Co-Principal Investigator
    University of Illinois at Chicago
  • Tracy Marks
    Author
    Beyond Words Strategic Communication
  • Citation

    Funders

    NSF
    Funding Program: AISL
    Award Number: 1323280
    Resource Type: Reference Materials
    Discipline: Climate | Ecology, forestry, and agriculture | Education and learning science | Geoscience and geography | Nature of science
    Audience: Youth/Teen (up to 17) | Adults | Families | General Public | Educators/Teachers | Museum/ISE Professionals | Evaluators
    Environment Type: Public Programs | Aquarium and Zoo Programs | Professional Development, Conferences, and Networks | Professional Development and Workshops | Informal/Formal Connections | K-12 Programs
    Access and Inclusion: Low Socioeconomic Status | Urban

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