Decoding the new Civic Science Clinic by the Scientific Citizenship Initiative at Harvard University
Scientific advancements are increasingly tackling issues that sit at the complex intersection of science and society. As a result, there is increasing recognition of the importance of Civic Science training and a growing community of passionate people working to address this need. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down for an interview with one such person, Fanuel Muindi, as part of his newly launched Civic Science Television (CivicSciTV) Network.
CivicSciTV conducts “civic science journalism to explore and unravel ongoing progress across the developing landscape of civic science around the world.” We had a wide ranging discussion covering the history and motivation behind SCi’s creation, an overview of our programmatic developments, and an in-depth look at our newest pilot: the Civic Science Clinic.
The Civic Science Clinic is designed to bridge the gap between scientists and society. It offers a part-time fellowship placing STEM graduate students in the Massachusetts State House and Boston-based nonprofits. The program puts science in service to society while preparing STEM graduate students for wide ranging careers.
We hope that this interview can be an inspiration to others who are working in the field of Civic Science and provides useful insight for those working to develop their own programs!
