Science Outreach as Civic Activism: Why Training in Science Outreach Matters

For two decades, Linda Rayor has directed an award-winning science outreach program, ENTOM 3350 Naturalist Outreach Practicum, that sends Cornell students into K-12 classrooms and community groups throughout central New York to give lively presentations about ecology, biodiversity and natural history. She has collaborated with teachers and cultural institutions to design programs that enhance their science curriculum. Cornell students from her program often become STEM teachers or continue to do informal science education that communicates the value of science to the public through their careers.

She regularly gives seminars and workshops on the value of training young scientists how to do outreach and how to develop programs like the Naturalist Outreach program. As a Faculty Fellow in Engaged Scholarship, Rayor aims to reach an even broader audience by publishing data and writing high impact papers and commentaries on the effectiveness of her innovative program.