30 Jun 2026
By Reanna Putnam
Make your mark on AAPS Conferences!

Make your mark on AAPS Conferences!

Conference, Uncategorized
We are actively seeking volunteers to join the CAPS 2027 Program Planning Committee. Like much of this field, AAPS conferences are supported by volunteer committee members who shape both the vision and design of our events as well as provide critical support for submission review and program curation. The Committee meets twice monthly to discuss event themes, structures, and opportunities for innovations in how we conference. Taking an active role in the conference program committee can help you: Make your mark on the field’s leading event. Conference volunteers have been integral in establishing structures to efficiently plan and implement virtual…
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10 Jun 2026
By Natasha Udu-gama
Addressing the Issue of Sustainable Funding for the Participatory Sciences

Addressing the Issue of Sustainable Funding for the Participatory Sciences

Uncategorized, , ,
Recent funding sessions on participatory science from key CAPS 2026 sessions addressing funding including a May 26th strategic discussion on funding, a YLACES session on braided funding and May 29th’s have made one thing clear: the field cannot treat sustainability as a grant-seeking problem alone. Whether organizations are navigating fragmented partnerships, adjusting to funding cuts, or trying to keep programs free and equitable, they are hitting the same wall. Genuine partnerships take time, but funders often reward speed. Multiple institutional layers create silos, but projects need coordination. And operational costs, though oftentimes seen as mundane, absolutely matter, despite most grants…
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07 Apr 2026
By Reanna Putnam
Improve Your Project Communications by Thinking Like a Scientist

Improve Your Project Communications by Thinking Like a Scientist

Resources, Uncategorized, ,
Participatory science project leaders wear a lot of hats. And one of the most underappreciated, and frustrating to some, roles is that of a communicator. You’re expected to maintain a social media presence, send newsletters, and overall build an engaged community of participants — all on the side while you’re doing the job of actually running your project.  A lot of people who put effort into their communications approach them as a task-based chore: Post your post, send your email, check the boxes. But far fewer have a good sense of whether checking these boxes is actually accomplishing anything.  The…
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18 Feb 2026
By Reanna Putnam
New Course! Strategic Communication for Participatory Science Practitioners

New Course! Strategic Communication for Participatory Science Practitioners

Uncategorized
Participatory science leaders may try to communicate with everyone about everything—social media, newsletters, participant engagement, blogs, media outreach—and end up burned out with little to show for it. This course teaches a different approach: strategic communication that helps you do less while achieving better results. Learn to diagnose your project's communication needs, define specific target audiences (not "the general public"), and match your strategy to your actual capacity. Through recorded lectures, live workshopping sessions, and practical templates to keep, you'll develop skills to translate scientific results for different audiences, make smart decisions about which communication channels are worth your time,…
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20 Jan 2026
By Reanna Putnam
Looking for sustainable funding for your project?

Looking for sustainable funding for your project?

Uncategorized,
Looking to build a sustainable source of funding for your project? Let these sessions inspire and activate you: Funding Participation: Building Sustainable Pathways for Participatory SciencesClosing Plenary [Friday, May 29, 4:00 PM] Participatory science delivers public value but is often underfunded by systems built for traditional research. This closing symposium session is designed to help researchers, funders, and policymakers examine how participatory science is funded now, where the biggest structural barriers persist, and what more sustainable pathways could look like in practice. Through brief perspectives and guided Q and A, participants will identify practical strategies to sustain participatory sciences beyond…
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20 Jan 2026
By Reanna Putnam
Insights and Innovations from Health Sciences

Insights and Innovations from Health Sciences

Uncategorized,
Interested in engaged research traditions? These sessions featuring examples from the health sciences will offer insights into ethics, equity, and action applicable to all projects: Insights and Innovations from Health SciencesPlenary Symposium [Wednesday, May 27, 12:00 PM]This symposium will explore how environmental, public, biomedical, and behavioral health sciences can strengthen participatory science through engaged research traditions that are ethical, equitable, actionable, and community-centered. Drawing on their leadership in environmental health, translational research, public health surveillance, wastewater monitoring, climate and health equity, and community-engaged environmental technologies, Drs. Smith and Malecki will share insights from research and practice at the intersection of…
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09 Jan 2026
By Reanna Putnam
How are the participatory sciences confronting global challenges?

How are the participatory sciences confronting global challenges?

Uncategorized,
Curious how the participatory sciences confronting global challenges? Then check out the following sessions at CAPS 2026, May 26-29. >>Full program here. Citizen Science Climate Change Mitigation: Visioning an Interoperable Data Network for ChangeSymposium [Thursday, May 28, 12:00 PM]Imagine a coordinated global network of citizen scientists tracking actions and behaviors that mitigate climate change. Such a network could make climate solutions visible, measurable, and accessible to all. You can be part of shaping this future, building on a recent initiative by the Citizen Science Climate Change Mitigation Working Group, sponsored by the EU’s AURORA project. Join us in turning knowledge into…
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09 Jan 2026
By Reanna Putnam
Curious about the intersection of AI and power in the participatory sciences?

Curious about the intersection of AI and power in the participatory sciences?

Uncategorized,
Curious about the intersection of AI and power in the participatory sciences? These sessions at CAPS 2026 might be for you. >>Full program here. Social Impacts of Emerging TechnologiesOpening Keynote [Tuesday, May 26, 12:00 PM]Professor Kate Devlin will offer an opening keynote on the social impacts of emerging technology at CAPS 2026. This plenary session will address the social and ethical implications of AI, and offer insights into how humans relate to emerging technologies. Professor Kate Devlin will offer an opening keynote on the social impacts of emerging technology at CAPS 2026. This plenary session will address the social and ethical implications of…
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09 Jan 2026
By Reanna Putnam
Looking to define yourself as a participatory science professional?

Looking to define yourself as a participatory science professional?

Uncategorized,
Looking to define yourself as a participatory science professional? Consider these sessions at at CAPS 2026, May 26-29. >>Full program here. Professional Pathways in Informal STEM Learning: Tools for your participatory science careerCollaborative Session [Tuesday, May 26, 1:15 PM]Professional Pathways is a new suite of tools that can help you identify and develop professional competencies for a career in an Informal STEM Learning (ISL) setting. In this session, participants will reflect on their own professional skills and knowledge by exploring two tools–the Framework and the Self-Assessment. From there, participants will engage in a broader discussion connecting these tools to participatory science.…
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09 Jan 2026
By Reanna Putnam
Wondering how participatory sciences promote civic engagement?

Wondering how participatory sciences promote civic engagement?

Uncategorized,
Wondering how participatory sciences can promote civic engagement? Then check out the following sessions at CAPS 2026, May 26-29. >>Full program here. Building from the Ground up: Civic Engagement through Community ScienceCollaborative Session [Thursday, May 28, 1:15 PM]This session equips participants to identify and address civic priorities collaboratively with community. We'll share ASTC research on public perceptions of science, then introduce practical tools from our Community Science initiative. Learn how to start with what communities care about and connect science to issues that matter locally.Convener: Naomi Wallace (Association of Science and Technology Centers)Co-presenters: Eve Klein (Association of Science and Technology…
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