CSMC-OMSI Partnership for Public Engagement Final Report

The CSMC-OMSI Partnership for Public Engagement (COPPE) project was developed to establish a strong and long-lasting partnership between the Center for Sustainable Materials Chemistry (CSMC) and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). Through participation in this project, COPPE researchers and OMSI educators sought a deeper understanding of each other's profession while simultaneously developing a suite of Informal Science Education (ISE) outreach programs that engage the public in new and enduring ways. These new ISE platforms were developed to enhance public awareness in the areas of CSMC science, chemistry, and sustainability—research that will enable a new generation of sustainably-manufactured electronic and energy devices. The intended impacts on the participating researchers and educators included: • Skills: This project will increase the project team’s capacity to facilitate collaborations that create informal learning experiences that highlight CSMC research. • Attitudes: This project will increase project team members’ confidence in their ability to work effectively in collaboration with each other. The evaluation approach of COPPE was a developmental case study involving a series of formative studies followed by opportunities for stakeholders to reflect on the findings to shape and benefit the developing partnership in an ongoing manner. This final report tells the story of the evolving partnership by describing impacts on participants and changes over time. This report also includes discussion and recommendations for the partnership’s future. These findings are intended to provide insight into partnership development and maintenance for COPPE participants as well as other institutions interested in creating or developing new partnerships. Appendix includes instruments.