PS 26-90 - The Undergraduate Student Experiences with Citizen and Community Science Network (USE C*Sci)

Abstract: Participatory science approaches, including citizen and community science, can be used in higher education to enhance student learning and engagement. The Undergraduate Student Experiences with Citizen and Community Science Network (USE C*Sci) is an NSF-funded research coordination network that aims to improve undergraduate student learning outcomes and engage diverse populations in participatory science approaches. Participation in the Network is open to anyone, though most current members have been recruited through advertisements on listservs such as Ecolog. Research by one Working Group associated with the Network has focused on the use of these approaches to promote teaching of social justice. We have reviewed the literature on the relationship between participatory science projects and social justice in higher education. We found many ecological resources that can be paired with demographic information to teach students about distributive injustice. We also explored the literature about integrating students into social justice projects in a community. These lessons learned can help ecology instructors integrate science with social justice efforts in their courses.