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Engage in science as a family! Summer is the perfect time to encourage learners of all ages to pick a community science project that supports personal interests. The data you collect can contribute to answering research questions! If you're not sure where to start, consider making your first stop the Scistarter website at https://scistarter.org. A quick keyword search provides connections to a list of community science projects specific to your region and topic of interest.
BioBlitz - Help scientists conduct an intensive survey of a defined area on a single day with the goal of identifying all the species to be found in that area at one time. It’s a snapshot of biodiversity. https://aquarium.org/bioblitz/
CoCoRaHS - Collect and submit precipitation data to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network. https://www.cocorahs.org/
Fish Watchers - Share data on where and when you have seen or caught a fish. The data are used to monitor trends in biodiversity and fishing regulations. https://www.fishbase.in/FishWatcher/menu.php
iNaturalist - Upload photos of plants and animals you observe, add notes, and transmit the location, date, and time of observation. https://www.inaturalist.org
Marine Debris Tracker - Report where you find marine debris and what you find. https://marinedebris.engr.uga.edu/
Oregon Season Tracker - Upload photos of plants and animals you observe to help scientists at OSU's Andrews Forest and elsewhere fill gaps and expand their research. http://oregonseasontracker.forestry.oregonstate.edu/
Whale mAPP - Use GIS-based web tools to contribute observations for scientists studying and mapping human impact on marine mammals. http://www.whalemapp.org/
Zooniverse - Participate in research of all kinds, from classifying galaxies to counting penguins. Whatever your interest, there's a Zooniverse project for you. https://www.zooniverse.org/
Schools, libraries, and summer programs throughout the coast are holding Family STEM Nights, featuring hands-on science and engineering activities that families can engage in together. Our Hub has resources that formal and informal educators can borrow to enhance local Family STEM Night.
These new education standards recently adopted by Oregon are a powerful foundation to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time. Parent Guides for Grades K-2, Grade 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12 are available at https://nextgenscience.org/parentguides.
