Portal to the Public: Expanding the National Network

September 15th, 2012 - February 28th, 2018 | PROJECT

Portal to the Public: Expanding the National Network (PoP: ENN) is implementing around the county the successful NSF-funded Portal to the Public model in which researchers are trained to communicate and interact with the general public at informal science education (ISE) institutions about the research that they are conducting. The project, which follows on a thorough evaluation of the model at eight sites and current implementation at an additional fifteen sites, will incorporate twenty new ISE sites into the growing network, provide training and mentorship to ISE professionals on the use and adaptation of the PoP implementation manual and toolkits, and develop an enhanced network website that will serve as a communication and innovation hub. The work is responsive to the needs and activities of ISE organizations which continue to expand their missions beyond presenting to the public established science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and are working to become places where visitors can also experience the process and promise of current research via face-to-face interactions with researchers. The project is expanding both the kind and number of institutions involved around the country and is facilitating their capacity to develop a knowledge base, share experiences and best practices.

Project Website(s)

(no project website provided)

Project Products

POPNet Website
Spotlight: Portal to the Public
Portal to the Public Network
Portal to the Public: Expanding the National Network
The Impact of Portal to the Public: Creating an Infrastructure for Engaging Scientists in Informal Science Education
Video - Portal to the Public: Expanding the Network
Impacts of a comprehensive public engagement training and support program on scientists’ outreach attitudes and practices
Portal to the Public Implementation Manual & Catalog of Professional Development Elements

Team Members

Eve Klein, Principal Investigator, Pacific Science Center
Meena Selvakumar, Former Principal Investigator, Pacific Science Center
Dana Vukajlovich, Contributor, Pacific Science Center
Jennifer Pritchard, Contributor, Pacific Science Center
Dennis Schatz, Contributor, Pacific Science Center
Jessica Sickler, Evaluator, Lifelong Learning Group
Anna Johnson, Project Manager, Pacific Science Center
Martin Storksdieck, Evaluator, Oregon State University
Cathlyn Merrit Davis, Evaluator, University of Maryland

Funders

Funding Source: NSF
Funding Program: ISE/AISL
Award Number: 1224129
Funding Amount: 1214091

Tags

Audience: Evaluators | Museum | ISE Professionals
Discipline: Education and learning science | Engineering | General STEM | Mathematics | Technology
Resource Type: Project Descriptions | Projects
Environment Type: Museum and Science Center Programs | Professional Development | Conferences | Networks | Professional Development and Workshops | Public Programs | Resource Centers and Networks