Microplastics have become ubiquitous in all reaches of the world. Due to their small size, low density, and environmental persistence, they are transported throughout the Earth's system. Despite its importance, little is known about microplastic transport and deposition, especially by snow particles, and most people are not aware of the extent of the problem. The PlastiX-Snow Citizen Science Project aims to fill these research and informational gaps using crowd-sourcing to achieve scientific research outputs, educational programming, and active outreach and engagement. We will initially measure the spatial distribution of snow deposited microplastics throughout a region in New York State and expand nationally using community partners. As trained partners, the Snow Ambassadors will inform the local community about microplastics, recruit participants, and assist in leading trainings. As nodes of the project, they will expand the reach to a large demographic of people across the country, including both life-long learners and school groups. Citizen scientists will collect, examine, and report the snow-deposited microplastics in their own backyard. The PlastiX-Snow team also will collect snowmelt samples from participants to robustly analyze the microplastics at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. According to a National Academy of Sciences, a primary concern regarding citizen science projects is the lack of engagement and feedback to the participants of the program's findings. We specifically address these challenges by actively and continually engaging our participants and partners through direct and virtual public programming, classroom visits, media, newsletters, and an interactive website. PlastiX-Snow goals are to 1. Collect data for a deeper understanding of microplastics disseminated by snow, 2. Teach the public about the dangers of microplastics and potential solutions, 3. Engage communities, students, educators, and the public to participate in groundbreaking, relevant scientific research. We aim to shed light on the severity of microplastic pollution, build a bridge between the public and the scientific community, connect citizen scientists to their natural environment through field work, and encourage them to serve as environmental stewards and leaders in their own communities.

Place-based field education is the foundation of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Hudson River Field Station. The most effective method of engaging and connecting people with their local environment is through memorable and hands-on field investigations, with the Hudson River itself as the best educational tool. Our ‘Next Generation of Hudson River Educators’ is a six week summer internship program specifically designed to more effectively engage underrepresented minority (URM) students and communities with the Hudson River using a tiered mentoring structure. The high school interns first take a deep dive into the Hudson River to develop a better understanding of the historic to present human connection to the estuary, the dynamism of its biology, physics, chemistry, geology, and topography, and the challenges the Hudson faces, along with potential community solutions. These field investigations build an appreciation for the estuary that they can pass on to their communities. Unfortunately, the coronavirus introduced a unique challenge on place-based education making it impossible to run an in-person program. Through an innovative approach to place-based learning, we decided ‘if we couldn’t bring the students to the river, we would bring the river to the students’. The interns dedicated the first weeks to learning about the Hudson through “Virtual River” videos, games, interactive web activities, and live river demonstrations hosted down by the water. While the content is virtual, it simulates a place-based education that effectively engages students in the geosciences and increases science literacy. The interns then work in teams to create their own communication tools to share Hudson information that is captivating to a multigenerational and diverse audience. In order to offer information that is interesting and relevant to their communities, interns performed interviews to learn directly from their friends, family, and neighbors about their perceptions and existing knowledge of the Hudson. Involving the community in place-based education is crucial because residents provide key information that would be otherwise unknown to a visiting scientist or educator. They then use this information to build their communication outputs that are intended to better connect URM to their local waterways.

Community science is a collaboration between scientists and communities including their citizens and their leaders. In this collaboration, the scientists and communities together determine the questions to be studied, the approaches to be taken, and the interpretation of the results. Such a collaboration requires a foundation of scientific literacy within the community to enable both individuals and the community as whole to access the needed scientific understanding and to participate in the scientific process. It also requires that scientists and educators learn about the knowledge, values, norms, and priorities of the communities in which they are working—a kind of scientific community literacy. The EarthConnections Alliance supports the engagement of educational institutions and programs in community science while building community science literacy and scientific community literacy. The EarthConnections Alliance is formed of regional groups that are invested in linking geoscience learning and community service across grade levels within their communities as well as program partners who have expertise needed to create these learning opportunities. All members share a vision of creating learning pathways with four critical elements: 1) they connect opportunities to learn geoscience with opportunities to use this knowledge in service to the local community; 2) they link geoscience learning opportunities and learners across grade levels; 3) they use signposting and mentoring to guide and support students; and 4) they lead to local employment opportunities and geoscience-related careers. Initial funding for EarthConnections explored the creation of regional pathways in diverse sites across the country, the development of strategies and tools for supporting pathway development, and mechanisms for sharing resources and expertise within the Alliance. Over 125 individuals and groups are now engaged in this effort. Further information is available on the EarthConnections website: serc.carleton.edu/EarthConnections.html.

For youth with limited role models in the STEM fields, and restricted summer research opportunities resulting from a lack of financial resources and academic connections, the opportunity to participate in academically connected, community based science research programs can be incredibly empowering. Providing these opportunities is critically important but it takes purposeful work, persistent outreach and strong community networks. We note that while providing these opportunities is incredibly rewarding, but there is a lot of work both up front and ongoing. This work is itself rewarding when networks are humming and enthusiasm for involvement is high, but it can be challenging when ceilings are hit and walls seem to arise unexpectedly. “Early Engagement in Research: Broadening participation through engagement in authentic science research” builds a regional network of summer research experiences for high school students underrepresented in STEM, starting from a successful model that has provided high school summer field research opportunities for New York City youth for over a decade (Secondary School Field Research Program). The program is developed around regional partnerships between various combinations of academic institutions and research centers, community environmental and education centers, state cooperative extensions, high schools and school networks, state and local park systems and land management groups. Each location has a unique approach, but all include some similar attributes. Each tackles an authentic science research issue that affects the local community such as microbiology in the local streams and microplastics in the local bays and biology, and each includes peer and near peer mentoring for the students along with a scientist mentor. Encouraging professional development of each student is central to the program. Technical instruction includes the use of scientific instruments and equipment, data recording and interpretation. Professional discussions include how to successfully read and dissect a science journal article, how to create and present a science poster and most importantly how build a network for themselves in STEM, and how to help us work with them to support the diversity that is needed for all of science to be inclusive and ultimately meet the needs of our future.