title: Tailoring science outreach through E-matching using a community-based participatory approach.
abstract: In an effort to increase science exposure for pre-college (K-12) students and as part of the science education reform agenda, many biomedical research institutions have established university-community partnerships. Typically, these science outreach programs consist of pre-structured, generic exposure for students, with little community engagement. However, the use of a medium that is accessible to both teachers and scientists, electronic web-based matchmaking (E-matching) provides an opportunity for tailored outreach utilizing a community-based participatory approach (CBPA), which involves all stakeholders in the planning and implementation of the science outreach based on the interests of teachers/students and scientists. E-matching is a timely and urgent endeavor that provides a rapid connection for science engagement between teachers/students and experts in an effort to fill the science outreach gap. National Lab Network (formerly National Lab Day), an ongoing initiative to increase science equity and literacy, provides a model for engaging the public in science via an E-matching and hands-on learning approach. We argue that science outreach should be a dynamic endeavor that changes according to the needs of a target school. We will describe a case study of a tailored science outreach activity in which a public school that serves mostly under-represented minority students from disadvantaged backgrounds were E-matched with a university, and subsequently became equal partners in the development of the science outreach plan. In addition, we will show how global science outreach endeavors may utilize a CBPA, like E-matching, to support a pipeline to science among under-represented minority students and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. By merging the CBPA concept with a practical case example, we hope to inform science outreach practices via the lens of a tailored E-matching approach.
authors.affiliation: The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, United States of America. brumala@rockefeller.edu
authors.forename: Bernice B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Rumala
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hidary
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ewool
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Emdin
authors.forename: Ted
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scovell
mesh_terms: D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D020407:Internet; D012574:Schools; D012586:Science / Q000193:education*