Whole Person

I think there's a commonality of human engagement. Even when you're online, even when you have the splashboard, you're still engaging with people. How can we still have this human connection, especially now in this, after this pandemic everybody's looking for connection. I think that this is, I think one way to make science accessible is to make sure we bring our humanity and our whole selves. Especially, I think what intrigues people about certain merchandise, it somehow invokes some kind of memory they have or something, some connection that they already had in their past, and this augments that.

Yeah, I think what I'm hearing that I really love about your story, Charity, is that you are redefining who is a scientist. And, what science looks like. Because, I think, it's both areas. It's also professional scientist are doing-and then people are like, "Oh but I'm not a professional scientist." But you are. Because science is an inquiry process. And I think that students, definitely kids, can really understand, "Oh maybe I didn't do well in school, but I really love curiosity. I really love asking questions." And that's actually what you need to do be a real scientist, is asking questions and following your curiosity. So, I think that, that's great. That is the best way to really break down those barriers, especially in a city that's so academically science. To show another place of science is probably really, really needed for everybody who doesn't feel like they belong in those big echelons of science.

the whole experience from the beginning, middle, and end was positive, but the feeling at the event itself and I contrast that with lots of other public events that I go every week. In a couple days I'll be at the NASCAR race in Phoenix for Friday and Saturday, and I've been to hundreds and hundreds of NASCAR races and big sporting event. And many of those events because they are a little more transactional than the interactions with fans and people, and people selling licensed merchandise and Dale Earnhardt sweatshirts aren't personally invested, so it's much more a retail transaction. You don't get those same feelings. So I think it's important to recognize that it was a positive event and Charity and Laura were positive people

I just have to stress this because this is a big part of The Science Boutique, is it's not and nor will... It probably never will be a thing marketing towards kids, by any means. Because in my research I found that once you make something like, "Oh here it's for families and kids," then the older crowd, the young adults, singles, couples avoid it. and that's my audience so I don't want to make it something they'd want to avoid. I by no means alienate kids, but... The science engagement that I have in my mind and plan to do is very much for young adults and adults. And I think my demeanor, and this is something that we were talking about the other day too, is geared well towards those people, like having my personality be out there more when it comes to a science engagement can only do good, which is exciting.

One thing that jumped out to me that I thought was really cool when listening to the Atlanta conversation was there was a part about discussing Clif bars and REI came in and it was talking about REI was an obstacle course. And I was like, "Wow, that sounds a really cool thing." But then the conversation was around this isn't reflective of the neighborhood or this store isn't here or something like that. And I may be misspeaking on that, but it was interesting because we had a previous year, a rock climbing wall at a similar event at Dwight whenever we were there for the fall festival, I believe. And I was like, "It's interesting because this is from the parks and rec department, which these kids are already super familiar with and they know these people because they bring in movies in the park in the summer as well." So I was just thinking of really similar amenities that we brought, but really being important by who in the community is bringing that in and how it's received.

The science that was happening behind that table was really cool and there were a lot of complex concepts behind it, but it was not rocket science, not to say it in a cliche way. It was thinking through density, thinking through molecular stuff, this is like middle school level science that folks that are familiar with. You don't have to be getting your PhD in neuroscience or biology to be able to engage in this way, right? So it could be folks from the [inaudible] department, the sociology department. It could be folks from across the university who could still engage with young people in this way, and there are a lot of people in sort of the social sciences that care about equity and inclusion, and a big piece of that is equity and inclusion of people of color in STEM and in tech because we know that that yield different educational opportunities, different job opportunities that eventually address some of the economic disparities that communities of color face.

the families and the young people interacted in a really positive way. I think the step further to that though is justice. You could react in a positive way, you could have great engagement, it could be fun, I did science I learned something new but there is this sentiment and I just share it personally as a black woman who was a black child of being able to see and experience things and look across the table and say wow, that person looks like me and is doing science, or wow, that person looks like me and knows all these things. There's more of a I can do that, I can do this, I can be this when you're able to see people who look like you.

And so thinking in that way of how each of the individuals embodied their character, quote-unquote, you can't see my air quotes. I would say that in the way that we presented science it's like, "Here's the thing you're learning in the middle of all of these other shenanigans." And the subtle message there is that science is more serious, I think, or less inventive than these people dressed as plutonium and Einstein as a skeptic. I think there's still some more development to be made in the ways that we present the planets, if we're sticking with planets again next year. In that we were saying how Venus, she kind of played up on that feminine energy, and I think adults especially responded to that, because they had that connotation already. And so I think in addition to how we deliver messages, I think also considering how participants are the message can help people reach that understanding that science is embedded in all things.

You have to have a commitment of people who will get involved in the planning, the preparation for the demonstration, or whatever it is you plan to do and be on hand to staff the event, the event and engage with others. You also want to make sure you've got the right kinds of people. We have a lot of brilliant scientists who may not be the right kinds of people to put in the mall and talk about what they're doing. You have to think about who's giving the presentation. They may be great in creating the idea of what to use and what the learning takeaways are but are they the right people to be out in front.

at one point in the parade, I went up on a balcony in one of the downtown hotels and I wanted to catch what was going on from a bird's eye view when our float came through. It was amazing. Our float was crawling so slowly because the kids wanted to be engaging with the crowds so much. Our festival board members were doing what they did. They showed up. They were very organized. They're handing out stickers and they were holding the banner but the kids were the one that connected with the crowd and brought smiles and cheers and just had a really great heartwarming feel.

We had those teenagers up on the float, some of them down on the street interacting with the crowd. That, to me, that youthful playfulness was so important. We have a lot of volunteers on our board and elsewhere for the Flagstaff Festival of Science who are scientists and educators. These are seasoned professionals. They're adults. They're serious. They bring an amazing amount of talent to the festival itself but what's missing is that youthful spirit that you can only get as a teenager or a young adult that these other kids bring. That was such an important element to engage with the crowd.