Scicomm Training

The Science Communication Lab hosts workshops that prepare young scientists to effectively communicate with the public and others in their field. Participants in our workshops range from high school students to graduate researchers and postdocs. Workshop are designed  to help participants overcome science communication challenges from posters and presentations to elevator pitches and science blogs.

For information about fall 2023 programming, please contact the MnDRIVE Environment Communications Team.

Past Workshops

Louis Stokes- North Star STEM Alliance Workshops: March and April 2021

In partnership with the Louis Stokes- North Star STEM Alliance (LS-NSSA), the Science Communication Lab will host a 2-part series of workshops for LS-NSSA students. The first workshop discussed the importance of poster design, data visualization, and jargon in conveying scientific findings to poster session audiences. The second will provide tools for proposal and application writing, especially for UROP and REU applications. Students are invited to apply the skills covered in workshops to their own work in the SciComm Coaching Lab

Communicating your Science: A Brainstorming Workshop for New Science Communicators

In partnership with the College of Biological Sciences Democracy Project, this workshop walked students through the project brainstorming process using a hands-on worksheet and group discussion. Students identified the purpose, audience, and format of their SciComm project, with a specific focus on how to reach a challenging audience through trust, identity, and framing.

Using Science to Advocate for Change

In partnership with the College of Biological Sciences Democracy Project, this first workshop in a two-part series focused on using effective science communication strategies to engage general audiences in issues of great public concern, such as climate change, vaccines, and healthcare access. With the right tools, scientists have the power to be vehicles for positive change in these areas. Some tools discussed in the workshop include narrative storytelling, audience engagement, and jargon translation.

School for Environmental Studies Workshops: December 2020

High school seniors at the School for Environmental Studies attended their choice of three 45-minute workshops hosted by the Science Communication Lab. The workshops focused on science storytelling, data visualization, or design as it applied to the students’ class projects on population studies and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Following the workshops, participants could attend small-group coaching sessions in the SciComm Coaching Lab to receive feedback on their individual projects.

Bioline Boot Camps

In Collaboration with the College of Biological Sciences, the Science Communication Lab offer four-part boot camps graduate students and postdocs. Participants learned the fundamentals of effective science communication, including inclusive ScicCmm and jargon translation, to engage peers outside of their disciplines. After a short lecture in each session, students applied their new SciComm skills in small groups to ultimately develop individual pieces for the new SciComm blog CBS BioLine