Advancing Community Priorities through Community Science
Sustainability research and innovation – the reasons we’re all coming together in Pretoria this month. Yet, sustainability research and innovation cannot occur without so-called non-researchers – otherwise known as the general public or communities. How can we equitably bring together communities of various types with sustainability researchers and seed true innovation? Two words for you – Community Science.
AGU Thriving Earth Exchange has been practicing a version of community science since its inception in 2012. Thriving Earth defines community science as communities and scientists working together to develop tools/solutions to advance a community priority. As a program of AGU, the community priorities we advance are those related to environmental health, pollution, resilience and sustainability. Yet, community science has been part of disciplines as far-ranging as public health and disaster management.
Thriving Earth’s flexible but guided approach to community science has enabled over 200 communities of various types to collaborate and co-produce tools and solutions their communities need with researchers/scientists/technical experts of their choosing. Our approach to community science has also enabled scientists, technical experts, and science-interested public to become boundary spanners and
act as project managers shepherding community science projects from idea to implementation. Finally, over 500 scientists and technical experts of all stages have built relationships and worked with communities to develop tools and solutions that are feasible and impactful for sustainability.
How to engage:
If you’re curious about this approach and how using it can benefit communities while using the best of sustainability research, there are two ways to engage with AGU Thriving Earth Exchange at SRI 2022:
- Community Science Online Networking Event: Wednesday, 22 June at 12:30 SAST
- A hybrid, interactive training session “Co-creating with Communities: Introduction to Community Science” on Tuesday, 21 June at 17:00 SAST.
For more information about AGU see: www.agu.org. For more information about Thriving Earth Exchange: www.thrivingearthexchange.org and be sure to follow us on Twitter @ThrivingEarth. Contribute to the Community Science Exchange! To connect directly with the author, please email: nudu-gama@agu.org.