I got my first experience as a science communicator as a high school student at the Philadelphia Zoo through the Junior Ambassador Program. With a cart filled with artifacts, activities, and crafts, I learned how to communicate with the public and enhance their experience at the exhibit I happened to stationed at for the time being. Over the two years I volunteered at the zoo, I learned how to connect with people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests in a way that fit my own personality and style. This experience had given me so much, to which I am very grateful for, including a toolkit that I would use in future outreach and science communication experiences.
Since then, I have had outreach experiences through my experiences at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Arkansas State University ranging from talking to island visitors on the side of the Jekyll Island Causeway to presenting to middle school girls about turtle science through Girls in STEM. I find outreach to be the most fulfilling through engaging with smaller groups during informal education opportunities and through hands-on activities. I enjoy using my creativity to develop interactive activities, which I hope to share in the future. I also love taking students into the field to see what it is like to be a field biologist! I think that my methodology is great for folks of all experiences, as students can choose their degree of involvement depending on abilities and comfort. Whether it be an entire wildlife methods class or a student at a time, I love having the chance to share this experience with them! Further, I have virtual experience with science communication through managing the social media accounts for Herpetologists' League, including developing visual content for the Herp League Herp Lab effort in Summer 2020 and editing and creating content for the DEI committee for the A-State Biological Sciences department. Bringing an idea I saw from my time at Bucknell University (through the Division of Student Affairs), I suggested the deployment of "Installments" in the bathroom stalls to communicate with students, faculty, and staff in the science building about the biological basis of a number of topics (e.g., Learning, Race, Reproduction). I recently worked with the Memphis Zoo Social Media Team to develop materials for the zoo including Instagram story content, reels, and interviews. |