What can we learn from Science Cafes?

Kendra Redmond, AIP / Society of Physics Students Program CoordinatorRachel Connolly, NOVA Director of Education

• A scientist walks into a bar… (Introduction to cafes)

• Beyond drinks… (Café happenings)

• A non-scientist leaves a bar… (Discussion of impact)

• Café resources… (Join or start a café)

• The NOVA/SPS Cosmic Café effort

CComforta

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e to EVERYON

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FFood

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EEngaging Scientist

• University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Portrait of a science cafe

• Break the Ice• NOVA scienceNOW video clip (5 minutes)

• Start a Conversation (20 minutes)• Scientist thoughts

• Questions and conversation (30 minute)

• Wrap Up (5 minutes)• Announce upcoming café• Encourage continued discussion

Engage non-scientists

Provide a good science experience

Go where people are

Showcase science

Humanize science

Educate and inform

Common Goals of Cafés

NOVA: Use the enthusiasm and structure of the Society of Physics Students to advance reach of Fabric of the Cosmos.

SPS: Use the structure and resources to introduce students to a new kind of informal outreach event.

NOVA-SPS Partnership

Assessing Impact

NOVA Evaluators: Goodman Research Group, Inc.Specializes in evaluating

educational programs, materials, services

Data collection methods•Focus groups•Attendee follow-up surveys•Phone interviews with café organizers•Scientist surveys

Organizers Scientists Attendees

Humboldt State University, Science on Tap

When asked directly about whether and how attendance was meaningful to them, organizers noted that it was a more important metric for accountability (e.g., to a CEO or an institution) than a determining factor in whether an attendee had a good experience at the Café. Though high attendance may be a meaningful metric for administrators, some organizers cited it as their primary challenge.

Assessing Impact: Organizers

Some noted a fundamental difference between understanding and engagement and noted that Science Cafés play a role in helping to bridge this divide.

“Engagement of the public with science and history is actually dialogue where you make people equitable. It’s not that the scientific community looks at the public and says we need to fill their ignorant heads with science. It’s more that we need to engage scientists and the public so we can all learn.”

Assessing Impact: Organizers

•The NOVA scienceNOW Science Cafés are an effective way to reach participants who traditionally do not attend science events.

•Over one-third of the attendees reported sharing what they learned at the Science Café with friends, family, or colleagues.

•The Science Café was either the first time most attendees had learned about the topic being presented, or it was the first time they had heard a scientist speak about the topic.

Assessing Impact: Attendees

•Attendees appreciated the casual setting of the Café, with approximately one in five stated that this aspect was what they liked most about the event.

•A significant number of attendees retained information they had learned at cafés after three months.

Assessing Impact: Attendees

The Science Café Community

230 registered cafes48 states, 5 countries

The NOVA/SPS Cosmic Café Effort

• Sciencecafes.org’s first themed café series• Content focus includes quantum and cosmological topics• Centered on the 4 episodes:

– What is Space?– The Illusion of Time– Quantum Leap– Universe or Multiverse?

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Fabric of the Cosmos

Cosmic Cafes Resources

Sciencecafes.org toolkit:– Episode summary, talking tips– Contact information for potential

speakers– How-to guide– Episode clips

Coasters & promotional items“Find a café near you”

Looking ahead

• “Café Conversations” monthly newsletter

• Additional themed café series

• Instructional videos

Science Cafes: Get Connected!

Sciencecafes.org- Find a cafe near you- Resources for hosting cafes

Facebook.com/sciencecafes- Engage with the science cafe community

Twitter @CafeSciBoston- Encourage your students to attend or

host a cafe themselves

Thank you!

www.sciencecafes.org getinvolved@wgbh.org