Citizen & Community Science: Designing Projects for Research & Engagement 

The 36-hour noncredit course "Citizen & Community Science: Designing Projects for Research and Engagement" offers participants a deep understanding of the purpose and promise of citizen and community science, also called participatory science. Through this course, participants will gain practical skills in designing projects that target specific audiences, collect meaningful data, and engage and educate project participants and volunteers. Taught by experienced professionals Malin Clyde and Alyson Eberhardt, who have decades of experience working with volunteers in scientific research, the course builds on the University of New Hampshire’s longstanding leadership in the field of citizen science.

Participants in this course will:

• Experience citizen science as a participant
• Articulate science, learning, and public impact goals for a project of their choice
• Plan and develop a new citizen or community science project to address these goals
• Identify and target a participant audience, and develop a recruitment, training, management, and recognition plan
• Implement robust science practices such as collecting accurate, useful data
• Develop a customized "pitch" to advocate for the use of citizen and community science based on a complete project portfolio created throughout the course

Each participant has the option to schedule a one-on-one coaching session (30 minutes) with a course instructor over Zoom to address any design challenges or questions related to their project.

This course is fully online and designed to be flexible, with participants engaging with materials like videos, directed activities, and online discussions on their own schedules. Optional Zoom sessions with the instructors will offer opportunities for live interaction. Open to a wide range of individuals, including scientists, educators, and community volunteers, the course will be valuable for anyone looking to engage the public in authentic scientific research across various disciplines.

• Asynchronous Instructor-Led Online Learning
  Runs from 3/2/25 to 4/13/25
  Engage with materials at your own pace (weekly)

• Live Zoom Sessions (Optional)
  Thursday, 3/13/25, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Eastern Standard Time
  Tuesday, 4/1/25, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Eastern Standard Time

• One-on-One Coaching Session (Optional)
  Available by appointment
  One 30-minute session over Zoom to assist with design challenges or questions

Microcredentials and certificates of participation will be available upon successful completion.

Learn more about related credit-bearing offerings at UNH: Graduate Certificate in Citizen and Community Science.

Hear what participants are saying about this Citizen Science workshop:

"Taking this course has been a transformative experience for me. It has significantly strengthened my ability to develop, execute, and evaluate citizen science projects. What stood out most was the emphasis on balancing scientific rigor with community engagement, which will be invaluable in my professional work. I now feel better equipped to design projects that empower communities and produce meaningful data. I would absolutely recommend this course to others. For anyone looking to enhance their skills in citizen science or participatory projects, this course offers a comprehensive and inspiring foundation. One specific example is how the course guided me in refining the protocols and evaluation metrics for my projects. These tools will ensure their long-term success and sustainability." - Jóhann Helgi Stefánsson, Iceland

A limited number of scholarships are available for this program, as well as opportunities for group discounts. Please contact Valerie Brodeur at valerie.brodeur@unh.edu for more information.